Authorities in Wellington, New Zealand ordered residents in vulnerable low-lying neighborhoods to leave their homes Monday as torrential rains continue to batter the capital city following overnight flash flooding.
Wellington Mayor Andrew Little spoke with state-owned Radio New Zealand, reporting that the city was hit with 77 mm (3 inches) of precipitation in under 60 minutes, marking the most intense rainfall ever recorded in the area.
The intense downpour triggered sudden flooding, forced multiple road shutdowns, and sparked landslides throughout Wellington’s downtown core and southern residential areas. News outlets reported that residents were forced to flee their flooded properties during nighttime hours, with at least one home struck by a landslide. Multiple city streets required evacuation while Fire and Emergency services handled 150 emergency calls through the overnight period.
Police officials confirmed they are actively searching for a missing man whose residence was inundated with floodwater in the Karori neighborhood.
Although skies temporarily cleared earlier Monday morning, allowing some standing water to recede, another wave of intense precipitation has begun affecting the metropolitan area. MetService forecasters are cautioning that rainfall intensity may increase significantly later Monday.
The Wellington Region Emergency Management Office issued guidance directing residents in areas susceptible to flooding to relocate to elevated terrain for a minimum of 24 hours. Emergency officials have established a support facility for the region’s approximately 521,000 residents requiring evacuation assistance.
The nation has endured multiple days of severe precipitation recently. Wellington’s surrounding region suffered flood damage from extreme weather conditions Friday night, while northern sections of the North Island dealt with impacts from Cyclone Vaianu one week prior.
