Three people have died and at least one is missing after record levels of rainfall triggered flash floods in New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, causing widespread disruption, including the closure of the airport and evacuation from homes.
A state of emergency remained in place in the city of 1.6 million people on Saturday as the torrential rains eased after Friday’s downpour and flooding, which marked the wettest day ever recorded in Auckland, according to weather agencies. The amount of rain that would typically fall during the entire summer hit the area in a single day with more than 150mm (6 inches) of rain falling in just three hours in some places.
