Hundreds of tourists stranded at Deep Cove

Part of Fiordland is cut off and hundreds of tourists are being airlifted out, after torrential rain - 217mm of which fell in six hours - brought down a slip, blocking Deep Cove.

Heavy rain caused a slip to block the road out of Deep Cove yesterday afternoon, leaving 339 people trapped.

Real Journeys Corporate Communications Manager Tsehai Tiffin said three helicopters were put on standby yesterday to get people out as soon as the weather cleared.

By 5pm, the weather turned in their favour with the first lot of people flown over the slip before heading back to Manapouri.

The helicopter trips were expected to be ongoing into the evening.

Tiffin said the cost of tourists was not a concern.

She said the road would be inspected this morning.

Deep Cove Outdoor Education Trust member Bob Hughes said there was more than 250mm of rain from about 3am yesterday.

A school group was able to exit Deep Cove just before the road was blocked.

No-one had been able to drive out since.

Motorists were earlier warned of hazardous driving conditions as a cold front swept in from the south.

It would move north over the mainland onto the lower North Island by this morning.

Stewart Island was first in the firing line, recording sustained northwest gales of 110kmh by 11am, gusting to 145kmh.

At 6pm yesterday, MetService flying the announced drenched.

‘‘Milford Sound has recorded some very big rainfall totals this afternoon, with 217mm being recorded over the past 6 hours, and a peak rainfall rate of 40.4mm/hr,’’ it said in a tweet.

MetService warned wind could hit 120kmh in exposed places in Wellington, Marlborough and the Wairarapa, including the Tararua District, up to 7am today.

The Canterbury High Country could get 130kmh gusts to 1am today, along with the Canterbury Plains, Christchurch and Banks Peninsula.

The powerful front comes almost a week after ex-Cyclone Gita barrelled into the country from the tropics, turning rivers to raging torrents, closing roads and bringing down slips.

Heavy rain warnings are in place for Fiordland, Westland, the headwaters of Milford Sound had been the Otago and Canterbury lakes and rivers area from Arthurs Pass southwards, Buller and the Tararua Range.

Up to 150mm of rain was expected around the divide near the headwaters of the Otago and Canterbury lakes and rivers.

MetService meteorologist Andy Best said northwest winds with sustained speeds of 95kmh were expected in the Cook Strait by 1am today.