The badly damaged building on Molesworth St in Wellington will be 'deconstructed' after third biggest earthquake to strike capital in a century .

Elderly residents of a retirement village in the upmarket suburb of Khandallah are among those who have been evacuated.

Wellington and Kapiti drivers should expect delays due to ongoing repairs and clean-up from slips and flooding, the NZTA warns.

State Highway 2 is closed in both directions as police respond to an incident in Lower Hutt.

New aerial photos show there is much work to be done after Monday's 7.8 quake.

It may be up to a year before the Defence Force can get back into its Wellington headquarters after Monday's earthquake caused structural damage.

Queen Elizabeth II has sent a message of condolence to the Governor-General of New Zealand.

Acting Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee says the cost of the earthquakes was still to emerge, but it would be in the billions of dollars.

More rain on the way for Wellington.

The Prime Minister's bodyguards directed traffic around a high rise close to collapse, slips caused traffic chaos and homes were evacuated in capital.

A section of Molesworth Street in Central Wellington has been cordoned off, with people cleared from the area.

The quake-rattled Wellington region has received more rain in 24 hours than it would in a month.

Traffic leaving central Wellington is gridlocked as commuters scramble to leave the rain-battered city.

All train services in Wellington have been suspended until further notice following large aftershocks.

The boss of Statistics NZ has posted a message saying she has been left questioning how such a new building could be so badly affected by yesterday morning's quakes.

A number of schools have been closed due to flooding, affecting some students due to sit exams after afternoon.

Emergency services responded to landslides in Wellington area as wild weather brings flooding and slips to the quake-hit region.

A Lower Hutt man whose house is threatened by floodwaters won't evacuate because he is worried about looters.

Wellington CBD is open for business, but workers should check with their employers before heading into town for work.

More misery ahead for victims of yesterday's quake as bad weather moves in.

Public transport is running again in Wellington today and some roads in the South Island should start to reopen.

A Wellington resident is "terrified" after her bedroom ceiling collapsed on her and her boyfriend during this morning's earthquake.

The Clarence River has burst its banks, with residents being told to move to high ground immediately, as aftershocks continue to rock the country.

Most schools will open tomorrow, following hundreds of closures after the quake.

Even buildings that have been deemed "safe" after an earthquake can have internal damage, Quake Protected says.

The Sky Tower will be lit in black and white tonight, as a mark of solidarity with the rest of the country following today's earthquakes. Acting

The aftermath of this morning's earthquake has left the home of Newstalk ZB political editor Barry Soper trashed.

Circle_see_more_DP.epsmattmartinsmile.epsFUTURE FOCUS: Members of the American Council of Young Political Leaders visited Rotorua

Tauranga MP Simon Bridges is one of the few people working in Wellington's central business district following a large 7.5 earthquake

As New Zealand wakes up to reports of the series of earthquakes to have shaken the country overnight the rest of the world is also coming to grips with the news.