Auckland is “underwater” after deadly floods hit New Zealand’s largest city late on Friday night.
A state of emergency has been declared after an entire summer’s worth of rain hit in 15 hours.
The city’s international airport has closed after it was overrun with check in deluged.
While cars – and even a house – have been seen floating away. Several people are feared to be trapped.
A man has been found dead in the suburb of Wairu Valley, on Auckland’s north shore after a member of the public saw a body near a main road.
Website WeatherWatch said it was an “unprecedented deluge” for Auckland with nearly 400mm falling on the city of 1.7 million people, a similar population to all of South Australia.
New Zealand’s MetService, the equivalent of the Bureau of Meteorology, has a “red” weather warning on place for Auckland. It has said a further 60 to 120mm of rain is possible amid “torrential downpours”. That’s in addition to the up to 250mm that has already fallen with 40-80mm coming down each hour.
The MetService reported that Auckland had exceeded the rainfall total for its wettest previous January in just a few hours.
“Until now, Auckland’s wettest January was in 1986 with 206mm, but already in January 2023 we have had an extraordinary 320mm of rain at Auckland Airport,” Lisa Murray, head of weather communications, told news website Stuff.
“In addition, it looks like Auckland is having its wettest month ever since records began. Even beating July 1998 when 304mm was recorded for that month.”
The torrential conditions are being caused by tropical warm heading down towards New Zealand from the Tasman and Queensland.
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has declared a state of emergency across the so called “super city” which encompasses all of its metro area.
“This declaration reflects the extent of damage, displacement and disruption caused by this evening’s severe weather event and enables emergency services and response agencies to draw on resources, and enact additional powers, to assist affected Aucklanders,” Mr Brown said.
Newly installed Prime Minister Chris Hipkins is due to give an update.
“All relevant government agencies are working flat out to help in an extraordinary set of circumstances,” he said on Twitter.
“The emergency response is underway and the Government is ready to assist as needed.”
The “Beehive Bunker,” the nation’s emergency response centre located within Parliament’s distinctive Beehive building in Wellington, has been activated.
Auckland Airport has said there will be no flights before Saturday after dramatic image came in of the roads to the airport completely flooded with water streaming into the terminal,
Passengers were seen pushing luggage trolleys through water at check in.
In the city’s west a house lifted up off its foundations with person trapped since, Water was said to be halfway up the windows.
On Friday night, Auckland’s Elton John concert had to be cancelled but not before scores of fans drove to the stadium where it was being held after they were advised to not take the train.
“It was far too dangerous,” to go on, the crowed were told at Mt Smart Stadium who had braved the conditions to find their sodden seats.
Areas of the city’s north and Ta Arai, close to Northland, are without power.
Susannah Shackel travelled from Wellington to attend the concert, and told Stuff it was “appalling” for it to be cancelled so late.
“We left at about six, we spent $140 on uber. We get to the gate and they tell us it’s cancelled and to go home,” she said.