New Zealand has declared a state of emergency in its capital city, Wellington, as torrential rain and flash flooding have recently affected the country's North Island.
Footage online shows vehicles submerged, trees uprooted, and houses hit by landslides. Wellington received a record 77mm (3in) of rain in less than an hour on Monday, said mayor Andrew Little.
Local authorities have advised residents to hunker down, with further rain forecast for the next day and a half. Some flights at Wellington Airport have been cancelled, and several schools have closed.
More than a dozen people have been evacuated while a 60-year-old man in the Karori suburb has been reported missing. As of now, no fatalities have been recorded.
This series of flash floods comes less than a week after Cyclone Vaianu swept through the North Island.
Research indicates that climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including floods.
The wild weather continues. We've had flooding, slips and evacuations... The flooding has been strong enough to move cars, and many manhole covers have been lifted, Little stated in a video posted on his Facebook page.
In the suburb of Kingston, a resident reported trying to escape on a neighbor's motorbike after a landslide buried a nearby road. Another resident described his garden as inundated with water, stating there was a huge deluge, river in fact, flowing through the garden.
Mark Mitchell, the minister for emergency management and recovery, emphasized the need for residents to be prepared and make evacuation decisions promptly if necessary.
The emergency management office has advised residents to cut non-essential travel and consider relocating to friends or family for at least the next 24 hours. The Wellington City Mission is set up to provide shelter for those in need.
