Five years on, Rupert Cornwell looks back on the hurricane and floods that shamed America

Swollen Bay of Plenty rivers could burst their banks tonight as the rain-battered region braces for more surface flooding.

The big wet is about to get bigger, wetter ... and windier, bringing a bleak weekend to most parts of the country.

A freak tornado has ripped off a shed roof, flinging it almost 100m, while leaving almost everything else untouched.

A massive slip that has cut off road access to 18 houses north of Gisborne has been described as "nature at its best".

Heavy rains in the Gisborne area have closed roads and some flood waters have been contaminated by sewage.

Flooding on the East Coast has trapped several residents in their homes, with further heavy rain forecast for tonight putting local civil defence centres on alert.

Drivers are being urged to take extra care on the roads after two cars became stranded in Coromandel floodwaters this morning.

Gales and heavy rains are set to lash the North Island for the first few days of the school holidays.

Auckland boaties are being warned to check their moorings as the MetService issues a severe weather outlook, with gale force winds on the way tomorrow.

A mudslide has destroyed about a dozen buildings in the fruit-growing region of southern British Columbia.