Live weather: Flights suspended in Wellington

• Flights in and out of Wellington Airport have been suspended until 6am Thursday at the earliest.
• The Whanganui River is expected to breach its banks, leading to evacuations from low-lying areas this afternoon.
• State of emergency declared in Whanganui and Rangitikei.
• Auckland has had a month of rain in 24 hours.
• About 19,000 properties were without power in Papatoetoe, Manukau and Wiri this afternoon. Power has since been restored to the area.
• About 200 homes around Auckland are still without power.
• The worst of the weather is over in Auckland but thunderstorms could still hit before 10pm, MetService says
• Central North Islanders are being told to keep survival items nearby
• For live updates, stay with us or tune into Newstalk ZB
• Weather chaos: What you need to know

Planes are grounded at Wellington Airport tonight and arriving flights are being diverted as wild weather continues to play havoc. At least two Wellington-bound international flights are being sent to Auckland and Christchurch.

Airways technicians will be working through the night to repair malfunctioning landing systems but all flights are cancelled until at least 6am Thursday.

The airport said its instrumental landing system isn't working which makes it difficult to land in low visibility. Travellers are being urged to check the status of their flights online.

MetService meteorologist Brian Mercer said Northland, Auckland, Waikato, and the Central Plateau were bracing for thunderstorms overnight, but should be down to normal levels of rainfall tomorrow.

Many Whanganui residents are spending tonight huddled in Whanganui Girls College, or St Paul's Church, after being evacuated.

Today, much of the upper North Island copped the worst of the remnants of Cyclone Debbie: Homes were flooded, landslips caused heartache, roads and schools closed, public transport was disrupted and many residents were simply told to stay home as the tail of deadly Cyclone Debbie lashed the country.

Tomorrow the middle of the country is in the firing line, with the Whanganui River at Pipiriki forecast to peak 13.3 metres by midnight; leading to evacuations from low-lying areas this afternoon and defence force personnel helping prepare for flooding.

A state of emergency had earlier been declared in the Whanganui and Rangitikei districts.

Auckland's been soaked by a month's worth of rain in the past 24 hours, leaving nearly 20,000 homes without power this afternoon, and causing roads closures and slips. Fire services had responded to 144 flood-related callouts by 5.30pm.

A landslide crashed through a block of flats at Kohimarama last night. It was one of many affecting residents across the city in the last two days - one slip across Landing Rd in Titirangi has cut off access to a dozen residents.

Another 80mm is forecast to fall in Auckland before 10pm, Metservice warned, but the heaviest rain is now over and the city is in cleanup mode.

Further south, Waikato and Waitomo can expect 120mm before midnight, and there are also rain warnings for Coromandel, Bay of Plenty and Taranaki.

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