Weather

Granity residents have been called to a surprise briefing after the Buller District Council commissioned a geological report on landslide risk following a heavy rainfall event in February.

Some communities may be abandoned, as increasing storms and flooding make continued occupation untenable.

July saw more than 220 millimetres of rain falling in the Marlborough town, the highest monthly total there since records began in 1930.

Wind is causing havoc across the central South Island, downing trees and closing roads and ski fields.

Many parts of the country have been lashed by heavy rain and wintery weather this morning and overnight, with travel disrupted in many areas.

An early warning evacuation system set up in the Timaru district settlement of Mills Road Huts is being described as a team effort.

Lake Rotorua is the highest it has been in five years because of heavy rain, and the water levels could lead to stormwater draininage problems and increased erosion.

Residents of a Horowhenua township who've been without power for three days say more should've been done to stop the flooding that caused the outage.

Leaders are calling for more urgent action to mitigate increasing flood risk in Christchurch, as locals clean up from a storm which tipped Canterbury into the wettest July on record.

Floodwaters stubbornly remain in some parts of Christchurch and Banks Peninsula, turning backyards into lakes and sending rubbish bins drifting past front fences.

Dunedin is still dealing with road closures, surface flooding, slips and a big cleanup job after a major dousing.

Dozens of people evacuated from their homes in Dunedin because of flood risk were allowed home, while flooding closed SH1 north of Dunedin and south of Timaru. Audio