A state of emergency has been declared in the Nelson region following torrential rain and flooding.
More than 200 homes have been evacuated in Nelson after the Maitai River burst its banks.
It is a similar situation across the West Coast after severe weather warnings were raised to red for Buller and Westland.
NIWA said the Tasman region got more than a month’s worth of rain in 15 hours today.
There are a number of road closures due to flooding and slips and people are being asked to stay off the roads.
MetService has updated its heavy rain warning for the Nelson region to red, saying the rain is expected to cause dangerous river conditions and significant flooding.
An orange heavy rain warning is also in place for Auckland and Northland.
