New Zealand: Auckland, the largest city, declares state of emergency amidst extensive flooding caused by heavy rainfall. Efforts underway to locate missing high school student trapped in a flooded cave north of the city.

On Tuesday, intense rainfall led to flooded basements, stranded vehicles, fallen trees, and interrupted railway services. This region experienced a similar incident of record-breaking rainfall in January and was struck by Cyclone Gabrielle just a month later.

The heavy downpour is forecasted to continue until Wednesday evening in the local time zone.

As a precautionary measure, a state of emergency has been declared, and disaster response services have been activated, according to Auckland Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson's statements to the press.

Simpson characterized the flooding as a constantly changing emergency scenario.

Rescue teams were mobilized to Abbey Caves, located approximately a 2.5-hour drive north of Auckland, to search for a student who went missing. The student's classmates managed to escape the cave, which is susceptible to flooding.

Police Superintendent Tony Hill expressed condolences to the family of the missing child, as well as everyone involved in the group excursion and the school, stating, "Our thoughts are with the whanau (family) of the missing child, as well as all those involved in the group outing and the school."

Georgina Griffiths, representing the New Zealand Meteorological Service, stated that the Auckland region experienced rainfall equivalent to 90% of its average annual precipitation from January to April. Some specific areas even received rainfall as high as 35mm (1.3in) in a single hour. Griffiths emphasized that the region has endured a challenging five-month period, resulting in complete saturation and extremely damp conditions.

Authorities recommended that individuals delay non-essential travel and refrain from driving on flooded roads.

Local media displayed visuals of individuals hurriedly leaving office buildings to head home early, resulting in traffic congestion in certain areas of the city.

In mid-February, Cyclone Gabrielle struck New Zealand, causing 11 fatalities and leaving a path of destruction comparable to the damage caused by the Christchurch earthquake 12 years ago, as stated by Finance Minister Grant Robertson.

The cyclone's impact occurred shortly after heavy downpours and flooding, which claimed four lives and submerged sections of Auckland's primary airport.