Flood-ravaged Auckland is expected to receive more heavy rain over the coming days, according to the city’s council, even as people start to count the cost of the flash floods that have hit New Zealand’s largest city since Friday.
Four people have now lost their lives and millions of dollars of damage has occurred. A state of emergency remains in place in Auckland and further south in regional Waitomo.
‘There has been very significant damage across Auckland,’ New Zealand’s new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins told TVNZ. ‘I had the opportunity to view that first-hand on Saturday and obviously [there were] a number of homes damaged by flooding but also extensive earth movements.’
He said at the moment, 350 people were in need of emergency accommodation.
40% of annual rain total has fallen already
Auckland has experienced record levels of rainfall since Friday. The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research said in a tweet that the city recorded more than eight times its average January rainfall and 40%of its annual average rainfall.
The Metservice weather bureau issued an updated Heavy Rain Warning for Auckland and Great Barrier Island for the 12 hours from 5pm on Tuesday. It said between 80mm and 120mm of rain could fall.
For more information, go to www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-30/auckland-flood-and-landslide-warning-nz/101907276
