People in flood-hit New Zealand are bracing for more heavy rain this week following new severe weather alerts.
At least four people have died and a state of emergency order continues in Auckland, which on Friday experienced its worst downpour on record.
About 350 people needed emergency accommodation, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said.
He added there had been significant damage across Auckland and the North Island.
With the unprecedented rainfall Auckland has seen since Friday, even “ordinary” torrential rain in the days ahead could cause more flooding and damage than it would usually, the city’s mayor said in a tweet on Monday.
Clean up begins at a historic home that was knocked off its foundations in a large slip on January 29, 2023 in Remuera, Auckland, New Zealand.
Many factors contribute to flooding, but a warming atmosphere caused by climate change increases the intensity and frequency of extreme rainfall. The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began, and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.
The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, the country’s climate science body, said Friday was the wettest day on record for a number of locations in Auckland.
Footage and images online showed people trapped in waist-deep floodwater, rescuers carrying out evacuations on kayaks and grocery items floating down the aisles of several flooded supermarkets.
