Heavy rain, wind hit top of the south
A severe weather warning of heavy rain is in place for Buller and western Nelson.
The rain is coming with a front working its way up the South Island which is delivering strong winds, potential surface flooding and slips over almost the entire South Island.
Rain has been forecast from Buller through Nelson city and Tasman district for the 24-hour period from 10am yesterday until 10am today, with between 90 and 140 millimetres expected to fall over the course of the storm.
The NZ Transport Agency has issued a caution warning for State Highway 60 between Riwaka and Takaka due to the heavy rain.
The worst of the weather was expected to hit the top of the south overnight, with rainfall of up to 25mm per hour.
A Metservice spokesman said the front would steadily make its way up the country before taking a pause over Te Tau Ihu. ‘‘This front sort of slows down and has a brief pause before it moves on to the North Island. So it lingers over that northern part of the South Island.’’
He said rainfall of 25mm per hour was ‘‘quite significant’’.
‘‘I wouldn’t call it a normal rain event, it’s definitely on the higher side. I don’t want to cause panic, but people should be vigilant, keep up to date with these warnings, keep an eye on the website, and stay informed.’’