Auckland airport closed due to record rain

At least two people died in the city due to the natural disaster. Two others are still missing. Elton John’s farewell concert in the city was also canceled at the last minute.

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 over 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 take stock of 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 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 effects of the last 24 hours have been felt for a long time,” said the national weather agency MetService.