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Wellington — Torrential rain slammed the west and north of New Zealand's South Island for a third straight day on Thursday, forcing hundreds to flee their homes, closing roads and schools and triggering landslides.
After weeks of wet weather, recent storms have exacerbated conditions in New Zealand's already flooded landscape. Experts attribute the unseasonably wet weather to narrow streams, or "atmospheric rivers," of water vapor above the country.
According to the weatherman's Metservice data, parts of the northern South Island have received well over 300 millimeters (11.8 inches) of rain in the last 24 hours. rice field. Heavy rain warnings have been issued for the western South Island and northern North Island.
Metservice data showed 106mm of rain in the South Island city of Nelson since midday on Tuesday. This is well above the average rainfall of 80mm for the whole of August.
Auckland, the country's largest city on New Zealand's North Island, is on alert for heavy rain and strong winds, with minimal disruption reported so far.
In Nelson, a city of more than 50,000 people, more than 230 of her homes have already been evacuated, with many public facilities closed and roads closed, according to authorities.
A statement posted on the Nelson City Council website warned that continued rains could lead to more landslides, flooding and displacement.
Nelson Mayor Rachel Reese told New Zealand TV show AM that the city had made it through the night without any major incidents, but the infrastructure was under pressure.
"We are dealing with a lot of wastewater overflows," she said.
The Buller District Council on the west coast of the island said in a statement that people in her 160 homes, which were evacuated on the last day, were able to return to their homes and assess the damage. . But he warned that more rain is expected and that he may have to evacuate again.
"On the other side of the district, I think we got away relatively unscathed," Buller Mayor Jamie Crane said during a news conference streamed online. (Reporting by Lucy Kramer, Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)
