Wellington, May 1 -- Severe weather has hit New Zealand on Thursday with a State of Emergency declared in part of the country.
In the South Island, heavy rain has already caused flooding and people have been evacuated from their homes.
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced that Christchurch has entered into a state of emergency at Thursday afternoon's press conference.
Parts of Canterbury region have recorded between 100 and 180 mm of rain since the start of Wednesday to midday Thursday, some parts have seen more than double a month's amount of rain in that time, said the National weather authority MetService.
Selwyn mayor Sam Broughton said due to rising river levels and advice from the regional council, he...