New Zealand's South Island regions hit hard by heavy rain, flooding

Wellington [New Zealand], August 18: The West Coast and Nelson-Tasman regions of New Zealand's South Island have been hit hard by heavy rain and flooding.
Local states of emergency remained in place for these regions due to the ongoing severe weather, according to the National Emergency Management Agency on Thursday.
The severe weather has caused flooding that requires evacuations, with further impacts possible, the agency said in a statement.
More than 200 homes in Nelson have been evacuated as the Maitai River, which runs through the city, has burst its banks. Civil Defense teams have been helping residents in flooded streets.
The state highway leading to Nelson has been closed due to slips and flooding.
A red warning has been issued by the MetService, New Zealand's national weather authority, which is the eighth red warning since the color-coded system was introduced in 2019. The MetService red warnings are reserved for the most disruptive weather events and are only issued after consultation with the local regional council and civil defense.
Source: Xinhua