health
February 16, 2026
Weather tracker: New Zealand hit by storms and widespread floods
Low pressure system funnels rain over already saturated areas, compounding risk of further flooding
TL;DR
- A low-pressure system caused heavy rain, winds, and coastal swells in New Zealand's North Island, leading to power outages and evacuations.
- Flooding in New Zealand's Ōtorohanga district resulted in one death.
- Storm Nils caused two deaths in France, cut power to 900,000 homes, and led to flood alerts in Spain and France.
- High winds in France and the Alps increased avalanche danger, and unstable snowpack caused deaths in the Italian Alps.
- A motorway bridge collapsed in Portugal due to river flooding after weeks of rain.
- Transport networks in Spain, France, and Portugal experienced disruptions including flight cancellations and rail delays.
- Both storms were intensified by atmospheric phenomena such as the jet stream and colliding air masses.
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