State of emergency declared in New Zealand after flash flooding hits Wellington

A state of emergency has been declared in New Zealand after heavy rain triggered flash flooding.

Some residents in Wellington, which has also been hit by landslides, have been urged to evacuate their homes.

"We encourage Wellingtonians to act quickly and not wait for official warnings if you think you need to evacuate," the city council said.

A number of streets in ​the city have been evacuated, and fire and rescue officials said they responded to ⁠150 calls for help overnight.

Andrew Little, the city's mayor, said one area received a record 3in (77mm) of rain in less than an hour.

"Be very careful around floodwaters; the flooding has been strong enough to move cars, and many manhole covers have been lifted," he said in a video posted on social media.

In an advisory, Wellington ⁠Region Emergency Management Office told residents ​in flood-prone spots to move to higher ​ground for at least the next 24 hours.

It added that an Emergency Assistance Centre had been set up to help anyone evacuated from their homes.

Melanie, who lives in Wellington, said: "I woke up this morning at 6am and looked outside and there's water everywhere.

"And I noticed all the water has gushed and shunted one of the cars into the other and then right over here on the corner is all these cars were floating and another car was also floating around the corner."

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Meanwhile, a search was underway for a man reported missing who was living at a ‌property hit by flooding and debris in the suburb of Karori.

"The weather has hampered aspects of the search and made searching some flooded areas too dangerous. We will continue to make enquiries and will resume the search as soon as conditions allow," New Zealand police said.

A large landslip was also reported in the suburb of Kingston after heavy rain overwhelmed the stormwater drainage system.

Public transport had been suspended and officials said council facilities, including libraries, parks and community centres, would stay closed both on Monday and Tuesday.

The national weather service is forecasting more significant heavy rain, thunderstorms and gales for some central parts of New Zealand.

On Monday, red warnings for heavy rainfall remained in force for most of the Wellington region as well as Wairarapa, in the southeast of the North Island.

MetService New Zealand has said some parts could experience another 200mm - up to 40mm an hour - of rain over the next 28 hours, until midnight Tuesday local time.

New Zealand has been hit by heavy rains in recent days, with much of the northern part of the North Island impacted by Cyclone Vaianu a ‌week ago.

(c) Sky News 2026: State of emergency declared in New Zealand after flash flooding hits Wellington