As authorities and emergency services across New Zealand prepared for severe weather expected from Cyclone Cook, a group of children were oblivious as they enjoyed mud puddles created by heavy rain on April 12.

The children were attending Pukekos Educare in Thames, on the Coromandel Peninsula in the North Island, one of the many educational facilities that were forced to close their doors the following day as a state of emergency was declared by the MetService weather authority.

The rain came ahead of the cyclone, which was expected to make landfall over the Coromandel and western Bay of Plenty at around 6pm Thursday. Credit: Facebook/Pukekos Educare via Storyful