New Zealand experiences torrential rainfall for a third day, forcing hundreds to leave their homes.

On Thursday, torrential rain struck the west and north of New Zealand’s South Island for a third day in a row, causing hundreds of people to leave their homes, closing roads and schools, and causing terrain to slide.

 

The most recent rainstorms, on top of weeks of cloudy weather, are making the already soggy landscape of New Zealand worse. An atmospheric river, also known as a thin stream of water vapour, is thought to be the cause of the country’s unusually wet weather.

 

According to statistics from weather forecaster Metservice, the north of the South Island received more than 300 millimetres (11.8 inches) of rain in the previous 24 hours. For portions of the west of the South Island and the north of the North Island, there are heavy rain warnings in effect.

 

According to Metservice data, Nelson city in the South Island has gotten 106 millimetres of rain since noon on Tuesday, far more than the 80 millimetres of rain the city typically receives during the entire month of August.

 

The nation’s largest metropolis, Auckland, is under a severe rain and wind alert on the North Island, with no impact thus far recorded.

 

In Nelson, a city with a population of more than 50,000, the authorities said that more than 230 residences have already been evacuated, and numerous public buildings and roads have been shut down.

 

Continued rainfall, according to a statement on Nelson City Council’s website, might result in more land slides, flooding, and evacuations.

 

The mayor of Nelson, Rachel Reese, stated on the New Zealand television programme AM that although the city had survived the night without any significant problems, the infrastructure was under stress.

 

There have been numerous wastewater overflows, she claimed.

 

People from 160 homes on the west coast of the island that had been evacuated throughout the previous day, according to a statement from Buller District Council, were able to return home to survey damage. However, it issued a warning that further rain was anticipated and that they might need to leave once more.

 

In a press conference that was broadcast live, Buller Mayor Jamie Cleine said, ‘right across the district, I believe we walked away quite undamaged.’