Ice, flooding and slips still affecting roads

The sun reappeared over much of the country this morning but ice, flooding and slips kept some roads closed after snow and rain lashed the country yesterday.

Transit NZ said State Highway 56 was closed at Opiki north of Levin because of flooding, while a landslip had forced the closure of SH4 between Wanganui and Raetihi.

Motorists travelling on other state highways around Manawatu and the central North Island were being warned about ice on roads and chains were required on many inland South Island roads.

MetService figures showed July was shaping up to be one of the wettest on record, with the lower North Island having been hit particularly hard by heavy rain.

Masterton has had over 250mm of rain this month, far higher than the previous highest July total of 176mm in 1996.

Ngawi, at the southeastern tip of the North Island, had had 341mm by yesterday and many parts of Wellington and the Hutt Valley have had between 350mm and 400mm of rain.

At 176mm, Wanganui had also had more rain so far this month than in any previous month.

Heavy rain around Wellington has caused slips on roads and eroded properties.

A spokesman for the South Wairarapa rural fire service said the sun was shining today and floodwaters which had risen yesterday had subsided but farmland was saturated.

Many roads in the region were still only passable in 4WD vehicles.

MetService forecaster Allister Gorman told NZPA the southerly which lashed much of the country had moved east and a cool southwest flow was likely for the next four to five days.

That meant some showers were likely up the South Island's west coast and some of North Island's west coast.

The weather was likely to remain reasonably settled for the next few days in much of the lower North Island.

- NZPA