(Wellington, New Zealand) More potentially dangerous rainfall is forecast for Tuesday in Auckland, New Zealand, four days after the country’s most populous city was swept away by a storm that killed at least four people.
Auckland received the amount of rain in a single day that would normally fall for an entire Southern Hemisphere summer.
A state of emergency was declared Friday. At least 5,000 homes and businesses may have been damaged by flooding or landslides. Several roads remained closed after the city was submerged under 15 centimeters of water in just three hours.
The state of emergency for Auckland and neighboring districts was lifted on Monday. Mayor Wayne Brown, however, warned of dangerous conditions on Tuesday. He warned that the worst is not necessarily behind them.
He also said that some areas already waterlogged could receive up to 12 centimeters of rain.
“The ground is so saturated and the drains are so full it could be even worse than Friday,” he said.
The heavy rain warning for Tuesday affects Auckland and the region north of the city.
Weather service MetService warned of “significant flooding”. Roads could become impassable and regions could be cut off, it has been warned.
Schools in Auckland will remain closed until next week.
Flight disruptions are possible at Auckland Airport.