Rain will ease off across the country today. Photo / Doug Sherring
Rain will ease off across the country today. Photo / Doug Sherring
Torrential rain that caused flooding through across Canterbury has eased but the lower North Island took a hammering this morning.
Roads are flooded and police are warning drivers to be extra careful in Levin, because of flooding at the intersection of State Highway One and State Highway 57.
The road is remains open.
The New Zealand Transport Authority is also warning a slip on SH58, Paremata to Haywards Hill is blocking the eastbound lane between Postgate and James Cook Drives.
An earlier crash on SH1 in Wellington has been cleared and traffic is flowing at normal peak levels.
This morning's flooding comes after 37mm of rain fell in Christchurch yesterday, flooding parts of the city, Akaroa and Selwyn.
Akaroa was cut off when State Highway 75, from Little River to Tai Tapu, was closed by flooding and State Highway 77 Bangor Rd, between the State Highway 72 scenic route turnoff and the intersection with State Highway 73, was also closed because of flooding.
Both roads have since been re-opened but drivers needed to be careful because of a slip on SH73 near Robinsons Valley Rd and flooding on parts of SH77.
SH1 in Dunsandel was down to one lane at Parkins Rd because of flooding.
Snowfall warnings were also in place overnight, when Lewis Pass and Porters Pass were expected to get between 1 and 3cm of snow on higher parts.
The MetService issued a severe weather watch for localised heavy rain in the Tararua Range, Kapiti Coast and Wellington, especially north of the city, overnight.
MetService meteorologist Philippa Murdoch said 40.8mm fell in Levin in the 12 hours to 6am, she said.
Heavy showers were still possible in the area this morning but should ease throughout the day.
Police were warning motorists to drive with extra care in Levin and Palmerston North this morning because of flooding.
Flooding was affecting streets between Queen St and the SH1/SH57 intersection, police said.
Canterbury is in for a fine day once showers clear this morning.
Rain was clearing across most of the South Island although cloud and drizzle were expected on the West Coast later today as a front moved in, Murdoch said.
Heavy rain was expected for the area by the end of tomorrow and into Thursday, she said.
Rain will ease off across the country today. Photo/Doug Sherring
The rain would also start clearing throughout the North Island today.
Murdoch said Gisborne and the Hawke's Bay were in for a fine day. In Auckland, there would be showers this morning, mostly in the west, but they would become few and far between as the day wore on.
The low moving onto the west of the South Island today would move up the country and cause more showers for the North Island tomorrow, she said.
Forecast Northland: Fine spells, and the odd shower until evening. Westerlies. High 16C, low 8C. Auckland: A few showers, clearing evening. Westerlies. High 15C, low 9C. Napier: Fine with high cloud. Northwest breezes. High 17C, low 6C. Wellington: Showers, clearing to fine late morning. Northwesterlies developing. High 13C, low: 8C. Greymouth: Cloudy with a few showers, then rain at night. Light winds. High 12C, low 5C. Christchurch: A few showers clearing and becoming fine by afternoon. Southwesterly dying out afternoon. High 12C, low 0C. Dunedin: Fine apart from areas of morning cloud or fog. Light winds. High 8C, low 3C.
