Firefighters evacuate 60 children from school and early childhood centre

Firefighters evacuated 60 children from Kawhia Primary School and Kawhia Early Childhood Centre. Photo / Supplied

Firefighters evacuated 60 children from a North Island school and early childhood centre this morning, after localised downpours hit the region.

Forecasters say the worst of the heavy showers felt along the west coast of the North Island are over, but temperatures are due to drop ahead of a "wintry feeling" first weekend of Spring.

Children at Kawhia Primary School and Kawhia Early Childhood Centre were evacuated shortly after 9.30am due to flooding at their shared premises, 85km southwest of Hamilton.

A Fire Service spokeswoman said one appliance from the Kawhia Volunteer Fire Brigade was needed.

It was the only weather-related call in the area today, she said.

Local Civil Defence spokesman Martin Berryman said the flooding caused the school's septic tank to spill.

"They had some rain there last night which caused one of their septic tanks to lift out of ground which caused some contamination," he said.

"Instead of putting the kids through the contamination, the fire service went there and took the kids out."

He said there was also some slips on State Highway 31, the only road into Kawhia, but roading crews were working to clear them.

The area had been inundated with rain this week with 40cm falling in the 24 hours to 2pm. Photo / Supplied

The school and childcare centre remained closed this afternoon, after a week of heavy rain fall took its toll on their shared grounds.

Met Service meteorologist Tom Adams said the area had been inundated with rain this week with 40cm falling in the 24 hours to 2pm.

Mr Adams said rainfall had been localised due to a "spacey, bubbly" cloud pattern.

"It's a case of isolated down pours or heavy showers, it certainly isn't something we are seeing widely across the country," he said.

"It is very unfortunate for the people involved of course, but we are not expecting wide spread flooding."

He said heaviest rain had fallen on and around Mt Taranaki.

However, the worst of the rainfall was over and the whole country was now expected to have a very cold start to Spring as a cold front moved up the country.

Damage caused by the heavy downpours in the region. Photo / Supplied

"It is definitely going to feel like winter this first weekend of Spring. Next weekend things settle down, but if we see some sun it's to going to feel cold with frosts in the South Island and on high country farms."

Mr Adams said snow would fall to sea level in Southland and to a few hundred metres in South Canterbury, likely affecting roads there.

Ski fields across the country could expect fresh coatings of snow, and there may be disruptions on State Highway 4 through the Rimutakas.

In Auckland, Mr Adams said temperatures could drop to around 10C tonight and through to the weekend, dropping even further to 5C early next week.

Northland could expect rainfall, he said.