NZ's largest city declares state of emergency following floods, heavy rain

New Zealand's Auckland declared local state of emergency following floods and torrential downpours on Tuesday, reported Xinhua.

Traffic was at a standstill in Auckland, as the country's largest city entered its third state of emergency due to severe weather this year. The meteorological agency has issued weather warnings and watches for many parts of the North Island.

The North Island was affected by severe floods in January and Cyclone Gabrielle in February which killed at least 11 people.

The government will step up support for those affected by flooding in Auckland, said Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty.

The National Emergency Management Agency's National Coordination Centre has been activated, and the government stands ready to provide any support that is needed, McAnulty said.

Auckland Emergency Management has opened a Civil Defense Centre to assist those that have been displaced or need assistance following Tuesday's severe weather.

The government has estimated the cost of asset damage from the floods and Cyclone Gabrielle in the first two months of this year at between 9 billion and 14.5 billion NZ dollars (5.71 billion-9.19 billion U.S. dollars), with half of that related to infrastructure owned by central or local government such as roads.