London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Aug 24, 2025

New Zealand: Auckland declares flood emergency as student goes missing in cave

New Zealand: Auckland declares flood emergency as student goes missing in cave

New Zealand's biggest city Auckland has declared a state of emergency after torrential rain caused widespread flooding.
Rescuers are also searching for a high school student missing in a flooded cave north of the city.

Heavy rainfall on Tuesday filled basements, stranded cars, toppled trees and disrupted rail services.

The same area was hit by record rainfall in January, and Cyclone Gabrielle a month later.

The torrential rains are expected to last until Wednesday evening local time.

A state of emergency was declared as a precaution and disaster response services have been mobilised, Auckland Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson told reporters.

She described the flooding as an "evolving emergency situation".

Rescue teams were dispatched to Abbey Caves about 2.5 hours drive north of Auckland in search of a missing student, whose classmates made it out of the flood-prone cave safely.

"Our thoughts are with the whanau (family) of the missing child, as well as all those involved in the group outing and the school," police Superintendent Tony Hill said.

From January to April, the Auckland region received 90% of its average total annual rainfall, the New Zealand Meteorological Service's Georgina Griffiths said, with some areas receiving up to 35mm (1.3in) of rain in just one hour.

"The region is very saturated after a very rough five months. We're pretty soggy," she told reporters.

Authorities advised people to postpone unnecessary travel and avoid driving on flooded streets.

Images on local media showed people rushing out of office buildings to go home early, causing traffic jams in some parts of the city.

Cyclone Gabrielle ravaged New Zealand in mid-February, leaving 11 people dead and a trail of devastation that Finance Minister Grant Robertson likened to the damage wrought by the Christchurch earthquake from 12 years ago.

The cyclone hit just weeks after torrential rains and flooding left four dead and parts of Auckland's main airport submerged.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
×