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The Elton John performance has been cancelled due to severe rainfall and flash floods in Auckland. SYDNEY: On Friday, Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, declared a state of emergency after severe rains triggered extensive flooding and evacuations, shutting the city's airports and forcing organisers to postpone an Elton John performance.
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown announced a state of emergency owing to the enormity of the "damage, displacement, and disruption" caused by the weather, as well as the necessity for responding agencies to call on additional resources.
According to a tweet from Auckland Emergency Management, considerable flooding has hit the city's northern, northwestern, and western areas, with conditions anticipated to increase.
Social media videos showed firefighters, police, and defence force personnel rescuing stranded residents from flooded homes using ropes and rescue boats. There were no early reports on how many individuals had been evacuated.
Floods also obstructed major roadways, causing lengthy traffic lines on highways. Police said they were assisting Fire and Emergency New Zealand in responding to calls and encouraged people to avoid the roads if possible.
Due to significant flooding, Auckland Airport shuttered both its domestic and international terminals. Images on social media showed the International Terminal check-in area knee-deep in flood water.
The city's concert by British artist Elton John, which was projected to draw 40,000 people, was cancelled.
"The concert for tonight has been cancelled due to inclement weather. Our operations team is trying to reroute special event buses to assist in getting passengers home "According to a tweet from Auckland Transport. (Reuters)
