Torrential rain lashes New Zealand for 3rd day

A flood-inundated car and homes from the overflowing Maitai River in Nelson Wednesday. Pic/AFP

Torrential rain slammed the west and north of New Zealand's South Island for a third straight day on Thursday, forcing hundreds to evacuate their homes and triggering road and school closures and land slips. Coming top of weeks of damp weather, the latest rainstorms are worsening conditions in New Zealand's already sodden landscape. Experts have attributed the unseasonably wet weather to a narrow stream of water vapour, or an ‘atmospheric river', sitting above the country.

Weather forecaster Metservice's data showed part of the north of the South Island had received well over 300 millimetres of rain (11.8 inches) in the past 24 hours. It has heavy rain warnings in place for parts of the west of the South Island and in the north of the North Island.

Metservice data showed Nelson city on the South Island had received 106 millimetres of rain since midday on Tuesday - well above its average rainfall for the whole of August of 80 millimetres. On New Zealand's North Island, the country's largest city, Auckland, is under a heavy rain and winds alert, with minimal disruption reported so far.

16 killed, 36 missing in China

At least 16 people were killed and 36 others remained missing after a flash flood hit a county in China's northwest Qinghai province, local authorities said on Thursday.

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