New Zealand: Auckland declares flood emergency as student goes missing in cave

Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, has declared a state of emergency after torrential rain caused widespread flooding. Heavy rainfall on Tuesday caused basements to fill, stranded cars, toppled trees, and disrupted rail services. Auckland Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson called the flooding an “evolving emergency situation” and declared the state of emergency as a precaution. Disaster response services have been mobilised. The torrential rains are expected to last until Wednesday evening local time. 

Rescue teams are searching for a high school student missing in a flooded cave about 2.5 hours drive north of Auckland. Cyclone Gabrielle ravaged New Zealand in mid-February, leaving 11 people dead, and the same area was hit by record rainfall in January. Georgina Griffiths of the New Zealand Meteorological Service said the Auckland region received 90% of its average total annual rainfall from January to April. The authorities advised people to avoid driving on flooded streets and postpone unnecessary travel.