30 January 2023

New Zealand: Flooding disruption in Upper North Island

• The Auckland region is under a state of local emergency following an extreme rainfall event on Friday evening New Zealand Time (NZT).
• The region has experienced widespread damage from flooding and torrential rain, with reports of slips and inundation.
• Infrastructure and emergency services alike have been overwhelmed by the impacts of the storm. There have been reports of loss of life in some areas as flood waters recede.

On Friday evening NZT, dozens of International & Domestic flights were grounded or forced to return to origin as the Airport closed.

The Auckland International Airport remains closed due to flooding in the terminals.

As of Saturday morning NZT, domestic & international flights will not resume until after at least midday, following an assessment of airport infrastructure.

State Highway 1 in and out of Auckland has been impacting by closures in parts due to flooding. Diversions are in place.

The DGF Auckland facility is operational & staffed. Airfreight Import cargo into Auckland is being retrieved from the Air New Zealand cargo terminal operators at this point in time. Menzies Aviation terminal remains closed to operations.

The DHL freighter service from Sydney to Auckland departed on the weekend as scheduled. Delays with ground transportation including delivery to end customers or export pick-up is expected.

DHL Global Forwarding New Zealand is continually reviewing the situation and implementing contingency plans to ensure freight reaches their destinations as safely and quickly as possible, however, please be advised that the delivery of items may be impacted for a number of days, depending on weather and road network conditions.