Three dead after torrential rain, flash floods inundate Auckland

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.

Highways were closed and floodwater poured into homes. Hundreds of people were stranded at Auckland Airport overnight after parts of the terminal were flooded and flights cancelled.

Police said they found a man’s body in a flooded culvert and another in a flooded car park. They said one person was missing after being swept away by floodwaters, while another remained unaccounted for after a landslide brought down a house in the suburb of Remuera.

While the heavy rain had eased on Saturday, another spell of downpours was possible on Sunday, the national weather forecaster said, adding that its effect was “expected to be severe and wide-reaching because of the saturated ground”.

“Our priority is to ensure that Aucklanders are safe, that they’re housed and that they have access to the essential services that they need,” New Zealand’s Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said.

He said the city was in for a big cleanup and that people should remain indoors if possible. “This is an unprecedented event in recent memory,” Hipkins said.

Air New Zealand said it had resumed domestic flights in and out of Auckland on Saturday afternoon but was not yet sure when international flights would resume.