Weather

Shane Bayley is Civil Defence's national controller. Audio

At least 800 households are without power, dozens of roads remain closed and the East of Whanganui is cut off after the city's biggest ever flooding. Audio

Nikki Kaye is the Civil Defence Minister, she says the Government and local government officials will be looking at whether infrastructure is up to the task but those talks can wait. Audio

The Horizons Regional Council will meet this morning to decide how long to keep the state of emergency in place in Whanganui. Audio

Further north no vacancy signs in South Taranaki and confusion around evacuation centre opening times forced some flood victims to sleep in their cars. Audio

The Whanganui District Council's mayor, Annette Main, says she is most concerned about the hundreds of people who have been completely cut off in the east of the city. Audio

Whanganui is facing the fallout from the city's biggest ever flooding. Authorities will decide later this morning whether to keep the state of local emergency in place. Audio

Authorities in the Whanganui region will meet at ten o'clock this morning to decide how much longer to keep a state of local emergency remains in place. Audio

A sign of respite for water-soaked central and lower North Island residents. The weather system which has wreaked havoc across the country in recent days has now mostly passed. Audio

A state of local emergency remains in place in the Whanganui region after the district's worst recorded flood. An evacuation centre has been open all night for almost 320 evacuees who don't know when… Audio

As many as 100 water-logged homes along Wanganui's Anzac Parade could remain inaccessible until next week. The city was cut off for a time after wild weather closed access to the north and south on… Audio

Heavy rain has caused widespread flooding throughout the West Coast and sent water through about 30 properties in Hokitika. The rain is continuing and moving north. John Law is a Met Service… Audio

The Westland District Council mayor Mike Havill, has just arrived in Hokitika. Audio

Much of the West Coast has been cut off by heavy rain overnight, a rest home was evacuated and about 30 Hokitika people have had to leave their flooded homes. Audio

The Metservice is warning heavy rain will hit the Kapiti Coast this morning. Audio

Elsewhere in the South Island many roads are closed by snow. Our Christchurch chief reporter Belinda McCammon is in our Chch studio and joins us. Audio

The Westland District Council mayor Mike Havill, is flying to Hokitika we hope to speak to him after 8, the Grey District Council mayor, Tony Kokshoorn is with us. Audio

Much of the West Coast has been cut off by heavy rain overnight, and more than 20 Hokitika people have had to leave their flooded homes. Audio

Much of the West Coast has been cut off by floods. Hokitika has fared the worst as the town's drains failed to cope with the heavy rain and a high tide at midnight. Audio

Much of the West Coast has been cut off by heavy rain overnight, and several people have had to leave their flooded homes. Audio