New Zealanders in the flood-hit country are bracing for more heavy rain this week with more severe weather warnings.
At least four people have died and an emergency order remains in place in Auckland, which experienced its worst rainfall on record on Friday.
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hopkins said about 350 people needed emergency accommodation.
He added that there was significant damage in Auckland and the North Island.
The newly appointed Prime Minister also highlighted the role of climate change in extreme weather changes.
“It’s a 100-year climate event, and it seems like we’re getting a lot of them right now. I think people can see that there’s a message … climate change is real, it’s real. is with us,” Mr. Hopkins said on Monday.
He told JEE News: “We will have to deal with these extreme weather events in the future.
“We need to be prepared for this. And we need to do everything we can to meet the challenge of climate change,” he added.
Mr Hopkins also acknowledged criticism from locals that communications about the floods were “few and far between”.
The city’s mayor said in a tweet on Monday that with “unprecedented” rain in Auckland since Friday, “normal” torrential rains could lead to more flooding and damage in the coming days.
“In some parts of the city, the weather is looking a little better – but, don’t be fooled, our region is not out of the woods yet,” Wayne Braun said.
Many factors contribute to flooding, but a warmer climate due to climate change increases the intensity and frequency of extreme rainfall events. The world has already warmed by about 1.1 degrees Celsius since the industrial age began, and temperatures will continue to rise unless governments around the world drastically reduce emissions.
The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, the country’s climate science body, said Friday was the wettest day on record for several locations in Auckland.
Footage and images online showed people trapped in waist-deep floodwaters, with rescue workers evacuating on cakes and grocery items floating down the aisles of several flooded supermarkets.
You: it’s snowing. We can’t go outside.
— Stephen Punwasi 🏚️📉🐈☃️ (@StephenPunwasi) January 27, 2023
Auckland: torrential rain floods aren’t stopping my day. pic.twitter.com/j6OGbipFDc
Auckland Airport, which was temporarily closed due to heavy flood damage, has now reopened.
New Zealand media have identified two people who died in the floods. Daniel Neuth, a 25-year-old arborist, died while kayaking near his North Shore home, and Daniel Mark Miller, 34, was found dead from a bridge in Wairoa Valley, an Auckland suburb.
