There is a brief glimmer of hope on the way for South Islanders left underwater as chaotic conditions batter the country - but, be warned, more rain is on the way.
Heavy rain has seen hundreds of homes evacuated and states of emergency declared in Waitaki, Dunedin, Christchurch and Selwyn as floodwaters inundate coastal parts of the South Island and bring thunderstorms to the north over the past 24 hours.
The slow-moving main rain band, currently sitting over Christchurch and Ashburton and causing evacuations near the Heathcote River, was expected to ease late this evening according to MetService.
A New Zealand Army truck is used to rescue residents in Christchurch. Photo / AP
Easing conditions have also seen the state of emergency lifted for the Timaru district.
"The good news is that by tomorrow the weather improves dramatically," said MetService meteorologist Tuporo Marsters.
Cloud is expected to clear tomorrow morning bringing a fine day to the South Island as a ridge of high pressure pushes the wild weather system away to the east.
However, a break in the weather is not expected to be around for long as another front starts approaching from the south by midday on Monday.
"Only having about one days grace before the next set comes on doesn't really help the situation," said Marsters.
Flooding at the BP Service Station in Timaru as the winter storm kicked in yesterday. Photo/Gail Veda Richardson
The cold front will bring another flush of rain to the east, which MetService warned could fill up rivers and streams come Monday. However, most of the rain was expected to stay in the west, threatening inland lakes and rivers.
"The other thing to watch out for is the wind starting to pick up ahead of that front come Monday," said Marsters.
There will also be a brief respite for the North Island tomorrow before the front reaches western areas by Monday evening. The overnight front was forecast to move away from the North Island by Tuesday morning.
Auckland was hit with heavy showers, including hail and thunderstorms yesterday, in a month with just two rain-free days so far.
The South Island has fared much worse with states of emergency still in place for Christchurch, Dunedin, Waitaki, Selwyn and the wider Otago region.
High seas lash cars driving on the St Clair Esplanade.
Christchurch residents in Heathcote were also told to evacuate ahead of high tide at 3.15pm today.
Christchurch City Council warned residents to stay inside and wait for help if the water was above knee level around houses, due to potentially dangerous currents.
Earlier, Selwyn District Council warned residents to stay away from the fast-rising Selwyn River in Canterbury.
A number of people were evacuated or chose to leave the area near the river.
Civil Defence also issued warnings to Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere residents, as flooding was expected due to high water levels.
The defence force has been helping local councils across Otago and Canterbury cope with the storm.
Surface flooding, slips and rock fall have plagued the region, closing a number of roads across Canterbury, Otago and Southland. For a full list click here.
Flooding on Dukes Rd near Mosgiel, Dunedin. Photo/Otago Daily Times
Rain has begun to ease in Dunedin however Civil Defence personnel remain on high alert and continue to respond a to weather-related issues as quickly as possible.
Dunedin Civil Defence controller David Campbell said the main areas of concern are the Taieri River, which remains high, slips and other widespread issues throughout the roading network.
Farmers on the Taieri Plains were given two hours to grab valuables and "just go" as the swollen river looked set to breach its banks last night.
About 100 households in the lower part of Outram were evacuated overnight and flooding in parts of Mosgiel and the Taieri Plain has meant some residents have been evacuated.
Around 60 houses remain without power - most of them in Leith Valley and Henley. There is currently no estimated time for restoring power to properties in Leith Valley due to slips blocking road access.
