Strong storms killed at least four people on New Zealand’s North Island when a fishing boat sank, and caused scenes of chaos in Auckland, the country’s largest city, authorities said.
Police said four bodies were recovered and one person was missing after the fishing boat sank on Sunday night, while five people were rescued from the rough seas, the AFP news agency reported.
Two Air Force planes and a naval ship participated in the operation to locate the missing, the military said.
The storm moved south and hit Auckland on Monday morning with heavy rain. The floods cut off roads, while schools remained closed and boat transport services were suspended due to the flooding.
The weather service said a set of storms was heading south and would reach the city of Hamilton on Monday afternoon.
“These storms are expected to be accompanied by torrential rains and damaging gusts of wind,” the service warned, recommending residents stay indoors.
