At least two dead in floods in New Zealand | Abroad

In Auckland, with a population of around 1.6 million, making up a third of New Zealand’s total population, 249 millimeters of rain fell on Friday. This is the amount that normally falls in an entire summer. It is not only the wettest day, but also the wettest month in history. New Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, who is visiting the affected area, said his “thoughts are with anyone waking up in Auckland and having to assess the damage”.

The footage shows how residents in different parts of the city had to flee the water, wading through waist-deep water or using kayaks. Highways around the city have been flooded, supermarkets have been inundated and aerial footage shows homes hit by landslides.

Auckland Airport’s flooded arrivals hall forced international flights to New Zealand to turn back, including a flight that had been traveling for seven hours from Dubai. The airport will reopen on Saturday afternoon (local time), but only for domestic flights.

Auckland is under a seven-day state of emergency and Mayor Wayne Brown has warned that the cleanup will be a “very, very big job”. “The aftermath of the past 24 hours has long been felt,” the national weather institute MetService said.