Wellington Declares Emergency After Flash Floods

Wellington, New Zealand, declared a state of emergency on Monday afternoon following torrential overnight rainfall that unleashed flash floods, landslides, and widespread evacuations across the capital and surrounding region. The deluge, which dumped a record 77 millimeters of rain in less than an hour, overwhelmed stormwater systems and prompted urgent calls for residents in low-lying areas to seek higher ground.

The heavy downpour, concentrated in the city's southern suburbs and central business district, led to road closures on major routes such as State Highway 1 from the Terrace Tunnel to the Basin Reserve and Adelaide Road in Berhampore. Emergency services responded to more than 150 calls overnight, including instances of flooding inside homes and landslides that damaged properties. In Brooklyn, a resident awoke around 5 a.m. to a landslide that caved in his bedroom wall on Owhiro Road, though he escaped unharmed. Firefighters in Berhampore carried elderly residents through floodwaters after waters surged at 3:45 a.m., pushing cars into driveways and garages. Suburbs like Newtown, Island Bay, Kingston, Karori, and Ohiro Road saw the most severe impacts, with some streets...