New Zealand floods: state of emergency in Auckland after torrential rain causes chaos

There is no end in sight yet for the city of 1.5 million, with heavy rain forecast to continue overnight.

The national civil defence minister, Kieran McAnulty, said on Friday night that the mayor of the city had declared a state of emergency and urged people to follow advice from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

Videos on social media showed firefighters, police and defence force staff rescuing stranded people from flooded homes using ropes and rescue boats. No details were immediately available on how many people had been evacuated so far.

Major roads were also blocked by the floods, causing long traffic queues on highways.

Auckland Emergency Management said earlier on Friday night that northern, north-western and western parts of the city were being affected by significant flooding, with conditions expected to worsen.

The agency advised residents in flood-prone areas to prepare to evacuate.

The last-minute cancelation caused traffic chaos, with concert-goers struggling to get home.