Nearly 400 people, most of whom are tourists, were blocked in New Zealand's resort town of Milford Sound due to bad weather.

As The New Zealand Herald reported on Monday, the only road out of the city was washed out by rains and partially destroyed by a landslide.

Amid wind and showers, authorities in the Fiordland region declared a state of emergency, and the country's meteorological service issued the first ever warning about extreme weather conditions. The service’s message said that heavy rain would cause flooding, and river spills and landslides could disrupt road traffic and make some motorways inaccessible to vehicles.

Authorities in the region said helicopters will be used to evacuate people, as the road is expected to remain closed until the end of the week. The first to leave an isolated city are those who need it for medical reasons, TASS reported.