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Wild weather: Flooding causes chaos for Auckland's infrastructure

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Fri, 27 Jan 2023, 11:15PM
Photo / Edward Swift
Photo / Edward Swift

Wild weather: Flooding causes chaos for Auckland's infrastructure

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Fri, 27 Jan 2023, 11:15PM

Auckland's catastrophic "weather bomb" is causing chaos across the city's roads and electricity network. 

A state of emergency has been declared in Auckland tonight as torrential rain and flooding hits the city - with warnings that a further deluge is possible.

Fire and Emergency says it is dealing with an estimated 1500 calls for help.

Vector says it has been asked by emergency services to shut down power to flood-hit zones in Auckland.

"The flooding has made it difficult for our crews to safely reach some of the outages, including in the Swanson area, and they will be unable to do so until the water has gone, hopefully by the morning. We urge everyone to take extreme care, avoid floodwaters and stay well clear of fallen power lines or damaged electrical equipment, and treat them as live at all times," it said.

Plus, State Highway 1 on Auckland's North Shore has been closed between Takapuna and Albany in both directions due to flooding.

Motorists contend with flooding on Aucklandnd's Queen St. Photo / Cherie Howie

Motorists contend with flooding on Aucklandnd's Queen St. Photo / Cherie Howie

Waka Kotahi had stopped posting State Highway updates on its Twitter channel - until Transport Minister Michael Wood intervened. 

"I have seen this and instructed the Agency to re-open their channels urgently. This will happen shortly. The best source of information is CDEM but there also needs to be clear comms from WK," he tweeted.

Local roads throughout the city are also closed. 

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