New Zealand’s South Island city of Nelson is picking up the pieces after receiving more than three times the average August rainfall in just 4.5 days last week, which has resulted in devastating widespread flooding and damage.
Just six kilometres south in the hills, one rain gauge measured 1,013mm, which produced huge run-offs and landslips.
NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has travelled to the region, assessing damage and comforting locals, some of who have lost their homes, while others remain unsure whether they will have anything left.
The deluge has impacted 284 properties with Nelson Tasman Civil Defence reporting nine as uninhabitable and 11 as seriously unstable, while Nelson Mayor Rachel Reese said another 286 homes were still to be assessed.
Many residents have been unable to even access their homes due to widespread road closures.
State Highway 6 is closed along the Nelson foreshore and between Nelson and Blenheim with major works required, while State Highway 63, another arterial route through the Wairau Valley, is also closed.
NZ’s official weather agency MetService spokesperson Dan Corrigan said more rain could be on the way.
Nelson is on the fringe of a low-pressure system due to cross the area in the afternoon on Monday 22 August with forecasters watching another front coming from the south and due to hit on Thursday.
The local Maori tribe, Te Tauihu iwi, have placed a rahui – or ban – on entering the water across the South Island’s entire northern coastline in response to the events.
The Nelson Tasman and Marlborough region on the northern part of the South Island is more commonly known for its sunshine and scenery, however the latest storms follow weeks of unseasonably wet weather across New Zealand, which is attributed to La Niña conditions.
Via AAP
