Thousands of buildings in New Zealand’s Auckland area are currently unsafe for living after the region was hit by extreme rainfall and severe flooding at the end of January. The amount of rain that fell in a matter of days made January 2023 Auckland’s wettest month in at least the last 170 years. The flooding has put the public’s focus on nature-based alternatives to traditional stormwater systems.
Indonesia has been hit by severe floods in recent days as heavy rainfall pounded the regions of Java and southwestern Borneo. According to the ASEAN Disaster Information Network (ADINet), floods have flooded thousands of homes.
Southern and Central Provinces of Zambia are grappling with a “catastrophic situation” after prolonged rainfall caused widespread flooding. The floods caused damage to homes and farmlands as well as disrupted access to healthcare and education in communities in Bwengwa, Namwala, Monze in Southern Province, and Mumbwa district in Central Province since mid-January 2023. The government has assured a multi-sectorial response to ensure recovery and rehabilitation.
Floods caused by heavy rainfall affecting parts of Sumatra island, Indonesia since January 21, 2023, have damaged more than 15 000 homes and left at least 3 people dead.
At least 2 people died and 7 went missing on January 22, 2023, after a sudden flood swept away families celebrating the Lunar New Year downstream of the Sanmenxia Dam Scenic Area on the Yellow River in Henan, China. The flood reportedly caused the water level in the river to rise by 1.8 meters (6 feet) in just six minutes, leaving little time for those affected to react.
Days of heavy rainfall across Europe have led to severe flooding in parts of Hungary, Serbia, Spain and Kosovo. Footage from these locations showed streets and fields totally submerged.
Heavy rains affecting the state of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil over the past few days caused floods and landslides in which at least 4 people were killed and one went missing. The state government said 26 municipalities have reported losses due to the storms of recent days and the cities of Rio Negrinho and Ascurra have declared a state of emergency.
Heavy rains continue to cause massive flooding in various parts of the Philippines, leaving 29 people dead and affecting around 1.4 million people in 1 956 villages across 48 provinces.
Residents in parts of central Latvia were urged to evacuate their homes on January 15, 2023, due to the worst flooding the state has seen since 1981.
Heavy rain and strong winds, caused by the combined effects of a low-pressure area, northeast monsoon, and shearline, have been affecting several parts of the Philippines in recent days, resulting in floods, and landslides that caused widespread damage and left at least 17 people dead.
