WELLINGTON, Feb 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) – A local state of emergency was declared for the Westland District, western part of South Island, by the National Emergency Management Agency New Zealand, yesterday.
A record of 235 millimetres of rainfall has been recorded in the past 24 hours, in Fox Township in the region, while MetService, the weather broadcasting agency of the country, predicted approximately up to 750 millimetres of rain could fall in the next few days.
MetService issued the red warning, the third time since 2019, for the whole country, and the second for this region, since last July, when almost half of Westport’s residents were evacuated, after major flooding inundated much of the town. But this time meteorologists said it could be worse.
MetService meteorologist, Lewis Ferris, told media it would be a long period of persistent rain.
Westland District Council has begun preparing for flooding, and issued sandbags to residents and businesses in the lowest lying streets.– NNN-AGENCIES
