Severe weather in New Zealand’s North Island prompts evacuations

By Lucy Craymer

WELLINGTON, Jan 21 (Reuters) – Authorities urged evacuations in some low-lying areas of New Zealand’s North Island on Wednesday and police searched for a missing man who was swept away in a river after continued heavy rain and strong winds triggered flooding, swollen rivers and landslides.

Local councils across the north asked residents in flood-prone areas to move to higher ground and others to prepare to evacuate if needed. Several roads were closed because of slips and flooding, the New Zealand Transport Agency said.

Images shared on news sites showed flooded farmland and surface water across roads.

Police said a man was missing after he was washed away with his vehicle during a river crossing near Warkworth earlier on Wednesday.

Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell told Radio New Zealand he was most concerned about the Northland region, including the town of Oakura and surrounding areas.

“They’re basically fully saturated in terms of the ground … and we’ve got more coming,” Mitchell said.

National forecaster MetService issued warnings for much of the top half of the North Island, saying there was a threat to life from dangerous river conditions, significant flooding and landslides, with travel disruption likely and some communities potentially isolated.

(Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Jamie Freed)