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A car trapped in flooding on Auckland's northern motorway as rising water brought traffic going in both directions to a standstill. Photo: supplied

KEY POINTS

* A state of emergency has been declared in Auckland following a severe storm and biblical rain that has caused widespread flooding and damage

* No flights will arrive or depart Auckland Airport until noon on Saturday at the earliest

* More than 2000 calls for assistance have been made around the city

* MetService has issued a red heavy rain warning for the region after a record 24 hours of rainfall - 249mm, smashing the previous 24-hour record of 161.8mm

* Auckland Emergency Management is asking people to stay home if possible

* Mayor Wayne Brown said that people should follow emergency directions: "We need the rain to stop, that's the main issue"

* Sir Elton John's Friday night concert at Mt Smart, expected to draw 40,000 people, was cancelled