New Zealand | Storms cause shipwrecks and floods
(Wellington) At least four people died in a fishing boat sinking in New Zealand as severe storms swept the country on Monday, including floods in Auckland, the largest city, officials said.
Updated March 21
Four bodies have been recovered and one person missing after their boat sank Sunday evening in a storm off Northland, in the northern New Zealand archipelago, police said. Five survivors were taken to hospital.
Meteorological services said the storm moved south and reached Auckland on Monday morning, dumping 76.8 millimeters of rain in one hour, the city’s second-record rainfall in that time frame.
Highways were cut off by flooding, schools were closed and ferry lines were shut down by heavy rain.
Six thunderstorms headed south and were expected to reach Hamilton on Monday afternoon.
Weather services raised alerts while warning that “wet weather will continue for many this week as the deep low pressure system approaches to the west.”
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