Torrential rain causes havoc in New Zealand, hundreds forced from homes

Emergency workers use an inflatable boat to rescue stranded residents in Nelson, New Zealand, Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022. Heavy rain continued to pelt New Zealand causing further disruptions and road closures from a storm that has already forced hundreds of people to evacuate their homes. (George Heard/New Zealand Herald via AP)

Torrential rain hit parts of New Zealand for a fourth day on Friday, forcing hundreds of people from their homes as rivers overflowed their banks and waterlogged ground becomes unstable.

Nelson, on the north coast of the South Island, has been worst affected with more than 400 homes evacuated and some declared uninhabitable because of the rains.