New Zealand floods: first ever red weather warning issued as thousands evacuated

South Island’s southernmost region cut off amid fears paper mill could release toxic ammonia if chemicals mix with floodwaters

Part of New Zealand’s South Island has become cut off after days of torrential rains washed away roads, forced the evacuation of 2,000 people and saw the country’s MetService issue its first ever red weather warning.

The flooding across the flat agricultural plains of Southland, in the island’s southernmost end, came a day after hikers and tourists were evacuated from another part of the region, Fiordland, where more than a metre of rain had fallen in less than three days.

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from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3b80UEB