Police in New Zealand were searching for a man who was swept away while attempting to cross a river as authorities warned of life-threatening conditions amid flooding and landslides following days of torrential rainfall.
Local councils across parts of the North Island asked residents in low-lying and flood-prone areas to move to higher ground, while others were told to prepare to evacuate at short notice as rainfall intensified on Wednesday. Several roads were closed because of slips and surface flooding, the New Zealand Transport Agency said.
