Heavy rain pelts New Zealand, forcing hundreds to evacuate

Heavy rain continued to pelt New Zealand on Thursday, causing further disruptions and road closures from a storm that has already forced hundreds of people to evacuate their homes. Residents in the northern part of North Island found themselves isolated after landslides, fallen trees and floodwaters blocked highway access. The stormy weather also forced some schools to close, airlines to cancel flights and business to shutter. The storm sunk at least one sailboat near Auckland and caused a home to slip down into a gully in the town of Tāhunanui.<br/>