Torrential rain pounds New Zealand's South Island
Torrential rain pounds New Zealand's South Island
Flooding has hit parts of New Zealand's South Island after days of torrential rain.
Since Saturday night, 793mm of rain has fallen over the Fiordland National Park and Southland districts. The average rainfall in the region at this time of year is around 236mm.
Telephone lines are down and roads have been closed, while more than 100 hikers have been evacuated from the popular walking district on the west side of the island.
Rivers in the area are swelling rapidly to record levels and a series of fronts is expected to move eastwards across the country, bringing more periods of heavy rain to the South Island's west coast.
