As parts of the nation get ready for more extreme weather, a precautionary state of emergency has been proclaimed in New Zealand’s most northern district.
Northland emergency workers warn that the region may experience unusually heavy rain on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The warnings come after the city of Auckland was hit hard by flooding on Friday, killing four people and destroying thousands of homes. There are worries that the city will suffer even more damage from Tuesday’s additional heavy rainfall as a result of clogged stormwater drains.
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In anticipation of more inclement weather and the need to keep roads clear so that essential infrastructure repairs may be made, physical attendance at Auckland schools has been suspended until February 7th.
Sandbags and pumps are prepared at Auckland Airport in case of additional flooding, where hundreds of travellers were left stranded after all domestic and international flights were cancelled on Friday.
Due to significant slips brought on by Friday’s rain, portions of certain key motorways north of Auckland are still closed, and local media are saying that additional ones are already obstructing traffic.
Chris Hipkins, the nation’s new prime minister, stated over the weekend that he believed Friday’s harsh weather was due to climate change.
Story was adapted from BBC.
