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A state of emergency has been declared in the Wellington region after it was hit with torrential rain.
Wellington Civil Defence Emergency Management (WCEM) said the declaration supports the response to ongoing severe weather, flooding and infrastructure impacts.
It gives responders the powers and co-ordination needed to keep people safe, support evacuations where needed, and manage impacts, group controller Carrie McKenzie said.
“The priority is life safety,” McKenzie said.
“We are asking people to take this seriously, follow safety advice, and act early if they are in low-lying or flood-prone areas, which are those that have experienced multiple flooding events in recent years.”
There is an increased risk of surface flooding, slips and rapidly rising rivers, with more rain forecast.
WCEM is warning people Wellington residents in low lying and flood prone areas to go somewhere else for the next 24 hours.
It encourages people to act quickly and not wait for official warnings if they think they need to evacuate.