Weather emergency declared in northwestern New Zealand

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Authorities on Thursday declared a seven-day weather emergency in northwestern New Zealand amid torrents of heavy rainfall.

Rehette Stoltz, mayor of the city of Gisborne, declared a state of emergency “as rivers rise and rain continues to fall across an already sodden region,” civil defense authorities in the coastal region said in a statement.

The New Zealand Metrology Service has issued a red warning for the region with sustained rainfall expected through to Sunday.

Locally known as Tai Rawhiti, the Gisborne region is a local government area on New Zealand’s north island.

The statement said rivers continue to rise while the rain continues to fall “across an already sodden region” while people have already begun self-evacuating from low-lying and flood-prone areas.

Locals should “self-evacuate and make preparations to ensure they are self-sufficient for at least the next three days,” it said.

Civil defense authorities have also been granted emergency powers for the coordination of the emergency response “given we have a significant amount of rain still to come,” the statement added.

Authorities said roads across the region are flooding and residents being asked to stay home.

“There are a significant number of landslides across the region with 61 local roads closed or significantly obstructed,” the statement added.