Auckland suffers from a weekend of wild weather by Laura Gilchrist
A tornado swept through West Auckland on Sunday, and heavy rain continues to cause flooding across the region in New Zealand’s North Island.
The tornado struck on Sunday afternoon, ripping up fences, damaging roofs and uprooting trees. There were no reports of any injuries but the tornado left a trail of damage 100 metres (330 feet) long. A tornado was also reported to have struck parkland at Cornwallis, around 18 miles (30 km) southwest of Auckland, later on Sunday evening. The recreational area has been closed for the week while the damage is assessed and debris cleared.
Heavy rain has also been causing problems in and around Auckland. Sunday’s thunderstorms gave torrential downpours that flooded roads and buildings, and in some parts of the city the rain was falling at rates of up to 50 millimetres (2 inches) per hour. Firefighters were inundated with over 150 emergency calls, mainly due to the flooding.
The heavy rain was continuing on Monday, with further flooding reported from around upper North Island. Forecasters in New Zealand say more downpours are expected around Northland and Auckland and the rain will move on towards the Bay of Plenty by Tuesday.
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