Updated / Saturday, 28 Jan 2023 07:39
Record levels of torrential rain in Auckland have left three dead with a
fourth person missing, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said after
flooding devastated the country's largest city.
During a press conference after visiting some of the waterlogged
communities, Mr Hipkins said flash flooding had led to "three fatalities
with one person still missing as a result of the weather".
"The level of devastation in some areas is considerable," he added.
Mr Hipkins said Auckland experienced "its wettest day on record" yesterday.
"This is an unprecedented event in recent memory."
"Having just surveyed the extensive damage both on the ground and (from) the
air, it's clear it's going to be a big clear up job," he warned.
Mr Hipkins offered his condolences to the families of the deceased.
"The loss of life underscores the scale of this weather event and how
quickly it turned tragic."
Police said this morning that the bodies of two men were found in
floodwaters in separate locations in a northern suburb.
A third person died after a landslide brought down a house near the city
centre while a fourth individual is still missing after they were swept away
in a community south of Auckland, police said.
The flash flooding quickly turned many of Auckland's roads into rivers.
According to MetService, New Zealand's weather service, a record 249mm of
rain fell on Auckland Airport in 24 hours from yesterday morning local time.
The weather temporarily closed the city's airport, the country's largest,
with ankle-deep water in some terminals.
The domestic terminal reopened today but international flights were only
expected to resume tomorrow.
The persistent downpour also washed out Elton John's concerts at Auckland's
Mount Smart Stadium amid concerns for crowd safety.
Auckland's Eden Park sports stadium, where the national rugby team play some
of their home internationals, was left flooded with the iconic pitch under
heavy water.
Most of the flood water has subsided, but Mr Hipkins warned that further
rain is forecast and advised Auckland residents to stay home.
"It's safer to be indoors than outside. Look out for each other."
Emergency services have been swamped with calls for help and Auckland
residents have been urged to only contact emergency services if facing
"life-threatening" danger.
"We want to get Auckland back up and running as quickly as possible," Mr
Hipkins added.
It is his first major incident since Mr Hipkins took office on Wednesday
following Jacinda Ardern's shock resignation.
RTÉ News.
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