Wellington — On Tuesday, New Zealand’s national carrier cancelled all flights in and out of the capital, Wellington, and the southern city of Christchurch declared a state of emergency as the remnants of tropical cyclone Gita pummeled the country. Even before the storm hit in full force, heavy rains in the centre of New Zealand brought floods in Christchurch, prompting a warning from mayor Lianne Dalziel. "The full impact of the storm will be felt overnight and tomorrow morning," she said, urging residents of low-lying areas to evacuate. "We are expecting homes to be flooded." Air New Zealand said all flights to the capital would be grounded from 1.45am GMT as weather authorities issued warnings of severe weather and heavy rain and gusts of up to 150km/h. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said troops had fanned out to areas likely to be the hardest hit and the national civil defence office in Wellington was on standby to help. "My message, still, to people is please look out for your lo...
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