New Zealand declares national emergency after “unprecedented” cyclone

Wellington:

The New Zealand government declared a national emergency on Tuesday after a tropical storm hit the North Island.

Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty signed the announcement after thousands of homes were without power due to heavy rain and strong winds.

“This is an unprecedented weather event that is having a major impact across much of the North Island,” McAnulty said.

This is only the third time New Zealand has declared a state of emergency – the other two were the 2019 Christchurch terror attacks and the 2020 Covid pandemic.

Flood waters and landslides have cut off many settlements across the country, including some near Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city.

“This is a significant disaster with a real threat to the lives of New Zealanders,” McNulty said.

He said more rain and strong winds were expected on Tuesday, hampering the efforts of emergency services.

“We are all facing widespread flooding, mudslides, damaged roads and infrastructure.”

The New Zealand Fire and Emergency Services said one firefighter is missing and another is in critical condition after a house collapsed in West Auckland.

“It’s been a tough night for the whole of the North Island, but it’s been particularly tough for fire and emergency,” said Kerry Gregory, chief executive of the fire service.

Flights were grounded on Monday due to bad weather, but Air New Zealand has said they expect some services to resume from Tuesday afternoon.

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