Weather havoc on New Zealand leaves widespread damage, kills two

Heavy rains wreak havoc across New Zealand’s North Island, causing landslides, widespread damage, and leaving thousands without power. Authorities confirm two deaths as communities struggle to recover.

Reuters

22 January 2026 at 11:45:19

Weather havoc on New Zealand leaves widespread damage, kills two

Ambulances parked at the scene on a landslide triggered by heavy rains, in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, January 22, 2026.

Aaron Gillions/Reuters

Heavy rains in New Zealand, which killed two people, triggered a landslide, and left thousands without power, also caused widespread damage, as shown in images released by fire authorities on Thursday (January 22).

Houses and roads in the Gisborne Region were seen blanketed in mud and debris, pictures released by the Tairawhiti Fire and Emergency department showed.

The location of the photos was confirmed by the building, vehicles, road layout and utility poles which matched corroborating visuals and satellite imagery. The date when the photos were taken was confirmed by official and media reports of the flood in the area.

Minister of Emergency Management Mark Mitchell described the devastation on the East Coast as "like a warzone,” according to local media.

Homes were evacuated, and roads were closed as heavy rain battered nearly the entire eastern seaboard of the North Island. While two deaths have been confirmed, police reported that the number of missing persons after the landslide remains in the single digits.

Production: Arthur Wei, Jacinta Goh/Reuters