Persistent heavy rain is set to continue for the Nelson and Tasman areas while Southland and Otago will have the finest weather in the country today.
A severe thunderstorm watch is also in place for the Hawke's Bay and Taupo, with a moderate risk of severe thunderstorms for the central Plateau which was lashed by heavy downpours yesterday.
MetService meteorologist Tom Adams says a lingering front hovering near Nelson, Tasman and Golden Bay areas will bring further rain to the area on Saturday, after a wet day on Friday.
Those spots experienced the most rain in the country yesterday, with Farewell Spit accumulating 124.6mm of rain in 24 hours, and Happy Sams in Golden Bay reaching 106.5mm.
There was also a moderate risk of thunderstorms in Tasman, Nelson and Buller which would extend to north Canterbury and west Marlborough in the afternoon.