New Zealand has declared a state of emergency in its capital city Wellington as torrential rain and flash flooding drenched the country's North Island. Footage online shows vehicles submerged, trees uprooted, and houses hit by landslides. Wellington received a record 77mm (3in) of rain in less than an hour on Monday, announced Mayor Andrew Little. Local authorities have advised residents to hunker down, expecting rain to continue for the next day and a half. Some flights at Wellington Airport have been cancelled, and several schools have shut their campuses. As of now, more than a dozen people have been evacuated, and a 60-year-old man in the Karori suburb has been reported missing without any fatalities recorded so far. This series of flash floods follows closely behind Cyclone Vaianu's passage through the North Island just a week prior. Continuous research indicates that climate change has intensified extreme weather events like these. Mayor Little noted that the wild weather continues with sufficient strength to move cars and lift manhole covers. Observations from residents describe the overwhelming impact such as attempts to escape rising water on motorbike and inundated gardens turned into rivers. Emergency services have warned residents in low-lying or flood-prone areas to consider relocating temporarily. The Wellington City Mission has been activated to provide shelter for those in need.