WELLINGTON, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Severe thunderstorms accompanied by torrential rain and hail hit parts of New Zealand's North Island on Wednesday, prompting flood warnings and a rescue operation after several vehicles were trapped in floodwaters.
Emergency services were called to several roads in the Waikato region at about 3:30 p.m. local time after reports of vehicles becoming stuck in floodwaters, Radio New Zealand reported.
MetService detected severe thunderstorms in South Waikato at 1:37 p.m. The storms were expected to bring torrential rain and hail, potentially causing surface and flash flooding around streams and urban areas and making driving conditions dangerous, the report said. ■