A Wellington man has admitted killing a 6-month-old baby girl who suffered head injuries as severe as a high-speed car crash could inflict.

INTERACTIVE: Explore map of assaults, sexual assaults and robberies to see how your neighbourhood compares with the rest of the country.

An employee at a local shop who didn't want to be named, said the woman came to the store after she was attacked.

The school treated the text as a serious threat and notified staff to lock doors and keep pupils inside their classrooms.

A second storm has started to pound the country with squally thunderstorms expected to strike much of New Zealand today.

A man was airlifted to Wellington Hospital with serious injuries after a northbound truck crossed the centre line and collided with a tree.

The winners of the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards aren't the only local authors toasting success.

A man and woman, believed to be under the influence of alcohol, had to be rescued after the ute they were driving got stranded in the rapidly surging waters of the Hutt River.