By Xinhua,
Wellington : The latest storm to hit New Zealand has left at least one person dead and more destruction in its wake. Civil Defence teams were on alert in Canterbury and eastern Otago as the storm moves through the lower half of the South Island.
Major highways and rail lines in the South Island were closed on Thursday night, and people have been forced to evacuate their homes due to serious flooding and slips, Radio New Zealand reported.
The storm is not expected to ease until Friday, with MetService forecasting a series of smaller fronts to follow in its wake for the north and western parts of the North Island.
MetService has also issued a heavy rainfall warning for south Canterbury and eastern Otago until Friday morning and residents have been told to prepare for flooding.
Residents in Torbay on Auckland’s North Shore and at Amberley Beach near Christchurch have had to be evacuated because of slips and floods caused by the storm.
Residents of eastern parts of Otago have been warned to prepare for potential flooding before nightfall on Thursday, following a heavy rain warning.
The Otago Regional Council was monitoring the situation closely and has activated first alarms for the Kakanui and Shag rivers.
In Canterbury, rivers rose rapidly throughout Thursday, as rain continued to fall across the region.
Police were advising people who do not need to travel to stay off the roads throughout Canterbury.
A state of emergency was lifted in Marlborough on Thursday afternoon.
Thirty-five people in Picton were evacuated on Wednesday night from a camping ground and from houses near a flooded creek.
Marlborough’s Mayor Alistair Sowman said volunteers and police did a superb job of saving many homes from flood damage and all but three families should be back in their homes on Thursday night.
In Nelson, people were being advised to conserve water supplies due to damage to the city’s main water pipe on Thursday.
Horowhenua customers of power company Electra could be without power until Saturday after strong winds brought down power lines on Wednesday.
Residents in central Hawke’s Bay have been told to boil their drinking water until further notice. On Wednesday, the district council increased the chlorine level in the water supply to Waipukurau and Waipawa because of concern that flooding may have contaminated supplies.
Main roads were closed. Transit said State Highway 1 from Kaikoura to Cheviot is closed on Thursday night due to a landslip, and will not reopen until Friday morning.
South Island rail lines were also closed. In the South Island, slips, washouts, rocks on the line, and blocked culverts have closed rail lines or disrupted some services.