Clean-up operations are under way in New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, after flash flooding caused by heavy rain hit the North Island, authorities said on Sunday.
The Hutt City Council, a local government body in the Wellington region which has a population of 520,971, said: “Severe weather has caused flood damage across the city.” It added that crews were working to clear debris from the “hardest hit areas” in the suburb of Stokes Valley.
A state of emergency was declared in the Whanganui District, 150km north of Wellington, and 18 people were evacuated due to flooding, according to Radio New Zealand.
The nation’s weather forecaster has warned of more thunderstorms with very heavy rain expected for parts of the North Island, including Wellington, on Sunday. “These severe thunderstorms are moving towards the southeast,” it said.
The wild weather, which triggered evacuations on Saturday, comes a week after the island was battered by Cyclone Vaianu, which forced residents to higher ground.
