New Zealand: child missing in cave as country hit by heavy rain and flooding

People walk by a windy seashore in Auckland, New Zealand, in February. A child has gone missing in a cave system as the north of the country experiences heavy rain and flooding. Photograph: Xinhua/Rex/Shutterstock

A child has gone missing in a caving system as torrential rain and flooding hit the North Island of New Zealand, with search and rescue teams suspending their search as night fell.

Heavy rain fell throughout Tuesday morning, causing slips and extensive flooding in areas, many of which were devastated by extreme weather in January and February.