Weather causes ferry cancellations and flooding

A sailing of the Lynx fast ferry has been cancelled and two sailings of the Interislander have been postponed this morning, as a result of atrocious weather conditions in Cook Strait.

The disruptions to the ferry timetables follow a night of heavy rain in the lower North Island, which closed some roads and forced a couple from their home in the Wairarapa coastal town of Riversdale.

The couple had to be evacuated by the Fire Service as flood waters rose, Sergeant Andrzej Kowalczyk of police central communications said.

"The water was so deep that the fire appliance could not reach the house so a local's tractor was pressed into service."

The road leading into the Riversdale settlement had been closed due to surface flooding, he said earlier.

The road between Masterton and Castlepoint, on the Wairarapa coast north of Riversdale, was closed at one place.

Police and Civil Defence had kept a watching brief on rivers, streams and flood prone areas in the Wairarapa during the night.

Heavy rain in the area caused a number of streams to burst their banks.

State Highway 2 over the Rimutakas was down to one lane in places because of three to four slips, Mr Kowalczyk said.

Crews were working to clear the slips but weather conditions on the hill were bad with strong wind gusts and heavy rain.

Police were asking motorist to either delay their travel over the Rimutakas or take an alternative route.

- NZPA, NEWSTALK ZB