Wellington Declares State of Emergency

The city experienced its heaviest rainfall on record overnight, leaving vehicles submerged and homes hit by falling debris.

Mayor Tory Whanau described the event as unlike anything the city has ever seen, with infrastructure under extreme duress.

A search is currently underway for a man missing from a flooded property in the suburb of Karori.

Weather forecasters have warned that further intense rain is expected, and the risk of more landslides remains high as the ground becomes increasingly saturated.