<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/29/auckland-flooding-death-toll-rises-as-new-zealand-hit-with-more-heavy-rain-and-landslides>
"Heavy rainfall continued to batter New Zealand’s north island, causing
landslides, flash floods and knocking out roads, with the death toll rising to
four after a person who had been missing was confirmed dead.
Battered by rain since Friday, Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city of 1.6
million people, remained under a state of emergency on Sunday. The nation’s
weather forecaster, MetService, warned of more severe weather on Sunday and
Monday for the north island. Intense rainfall could also cause surface and
flash flooding, it said.
The focus of the emergency has since moved south, with Waitomo District –
located about 220 kms (137 miles) from Auckland – declaring a state of
emergency late on Saturday.
Police confirmed that a man missing after being swept away on Friday in
Onewhero, a rural village about 70 kms (43 miles) south of Auckland, had died.
“The most horrific part of it is that we’ve lost lives,” deputy prime minister
Carmel Sepuloni told reporters in Auckland.
Climate change is causing episodes of heavy rainfall to become more common and
more intense in New Zealand, though the impact varies by region. Climate change
minister James Shaw noted the link to climate change on Saturday when he
tweeted his support for those affected by flooding."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
