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More intense rain falls in Auc...The city of Auckland in New Zealand has been devastated by further torrential rain, which has caused trees to fall, homes to flood, and key roadways to close.
As the area recovers from fatal floods last week, weather watchers said that more than a month's worth of rain had poured in only 24 hours, disrupting roads and rail. The Friday's torrential rains resulted in the deaths of four people and the devastation of thousands of dwellings.
Residents in risky locations had been warned to get ready to leave if necessary. In Northland, the country's northernmost area, where "record" rainfall was anticipated, the precautionary state of emergency has been withdrawn. The forecasted torrential rainfall "may be more dangerous than Friday's," according to Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, because of the region's clogged storm water systems. Overnight, roads were once more inundated, leaving some drivers trapped on the streets and compelled to ditch their cars.
Although things have now calmed down, thunderstorms and torrential rain were still predicted elsewhere until late Wednesday afternoon, according to New Zealand's MetService. Currently, the biggest concern is the situation in Coromandel and Bay of Plenty, where a heavy rain red alert is still in effect.