Rapidly rising floodwaters last night forced Bay of Plenty residents from their homes and trapped motorists.

Heavy rain has caused widespread flooding in Auckland, Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty with one family trapped in their car having to be rescued by firefighters.

The rain has stopped falling in flood stricken Otago and Hawkes Bay, but the regions face a big, expensive cleanup.

A large landslip swept through a campground where up to 42 people were sleeping in flood-stricken Central Otago early today.

Further flooding is possible for the South Island's sodden Waitaki district, where 1000 people remain without drinking water.

Flood waters in Canterbury and Otago have begun to recede as heavy rain eases, but there's no respite with snow forecast for tonight.

Torrential rain has flooded homes overnight in the Bay of Plenty, sparking evacuations and more than 20 callouts to emergency services.

Emergency and Civil Defence teams were gearing up last night for a weather beating expected to hit within hours.

Are parts of New Zealand about to go under water?

Heavy rain and gales are expected to lash the main islands from tonight, with the MetService warning of one of the "bigger weather events" for some time.

Don't put the umbrellas away just yet. A storm bringing more heavy rain and winds is on its way to parts of the North Island.

Is there a massive government conspiracy developing in the skies over New Zealand?

River flow levels and a minimal rain forecast suggest Queenstown's Lake Wakatipu might only rise by a further 10cm.

Scepticism about global warming is widespread amongst TV forecasters.

Forecasters and frustrated farmers say short bursts of heavy showers yesterday will do little to break droughts.