Much of New Zealand is experiencing very heavy rain which will continue for the next one or two days. This is connected to Cyclone Debbie which caused so much damage in Queensland, Australia last week. The cyclone damage in Australia was caused by strong wind at first but heavy rain then flooded rivers. Flood waters not only covered roads but also drowned some people who were not able to escape.
Now, that rain has arrived in New Zealand. Auckland has had some flooding but the worst at the moment is the Whanganui River which has risen more than 17 metres in some places. This is a farming area and farmers will lose animals if they cannot take them to a higher place. The council in that area has declared a state of emergency. All schools nearby will be closed tomorrow and maybe the next day also.
In Auckland, torrential rain began about 5pm and is likely to continue all tomorrow, Wednesday. In Kohimarara, Auckland, a cliff collapsed from the rain, pouring mud into an apartment and breaking windows. Luckily, nobody was hurt.
Rain will move south tomorrow to upper parts of the South Island and the West Coast.
Vocabulary
• cyclone – a tropical storm, hurricane
• drowned – died in the water
• declare – to say something officially
• state of emergency – the government (or local government) is in control and can bring in the army to help
• torrential rain from torrent (n) which means a very heavy flow of water