In New Zealand, Cyclone Gabrielle has killed at least four people and left a trail of destruction as it moved away from the country, while rescue and recovery efforts continue. Hundreds of people were rescued from rooftops due to rising waters. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins called Gabrielle the worst storm to hit the nation in the past century. New Zealand’s Climate Change Minister James Shaw delivered a scathing condemnation of governmental inaction on the climate crisis, which is contributing to more frequent and more devastating weather events.

James Shaw: “I don’t think I’ve ever felt as sad or as angry about the lost decades that we spent bickering and arguing about whether climate change was real or not, whether it was caused by humans or not, whether it was bad or not, whether we should do something about it or not, because it is clearly here now. And if we do not act, it will get worse.”