Nelson's Nile Street properies still with water through them, bordering the Maitai River. Photo / Tim Cuff
The weather this coming week won't be as active as the last, but Kiwis shouldn't put the umbrellas away just yet.
Last week, Nelson felt the full force of the 'atmospheric river' that sat over the country, with widespread flooding and hundreds of families evacuated from their homes.
Though the weather has eased, a state of emergency is still in effect in the Marlborough, Nelson-Tasman, and West Coast areas.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern landed in Nelson on Sunday evening.
"It is devastating," she told TVNZ's Breakfast show.
She said it will be a bit of a watch and wait process, in terms of the weather of the next few days, and local authorities will be continuing to help residents hoping to get back into their homes.
"We want to make sure people are well supported in the mean time and that if it is safe to return, they are able to do so."
On the $200,000 pledged as part of the mayoral relief fund, Ardern said it was a way to help the local region very quickly following such a big weather event; including the immediate clean-up work, as well as even individual residential needs.
UPDATE 1:30PM
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Top of the South (@WakaKotahiTotS) August 21, 2022
Next update on the below-mentioned CLOSURES will be provided on Tue 23 Aug:
• SH6 Nelson to Renwick - Flooding
• SH6 Nelson between Haven Rd and Tahunanui Rd - Slip
• SH63 St Arnaud to Renwick - Flood damage & washouts pic.twitter.com/n6TqRqumGK
But it is not intended to be the money that supports all the extra issues, such as infrastructure and damage to roads.
She said there would, however, be "significant contributions" to the region to help with those issues going forward.
On Monday afternoon, Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty will visit Blenheim to meet with Marlborough Mayor John Leggett.
McAnulty will observe firsthand the devastation caused by the recent weather, including the 350 significant slips that have occurred so far.
According to the Nelson-Tasman Civil Defence Group, the past week's flooding affected 570 houses. Urban Search and Rescue has inspected around half of those homes so far.
Eleven have been yellow stickered, while nine have been red stickered. A red tag denotes an uninhabitable residence and a yellow label indicates that homeowners may enter their home when it is safe.
A weak low-pressure system is expected to travel eastward over central New Zealand on Monday.
🟡Heavy Rain Watch🟡
— MetService (@MetService) August 21, 2022
Tasman west of Motueka could be in with a period of heavy rain on Monday. Expected accumulations are not what would normally be considered for heavy rain, however given the recent severe rain event, a Watch has been issuedhttps://t.co/qHyE5zzql5 pic.twitter.com/oizJBSBTQ4
MetService says the system might deliver heavy rain to western Tasman for a period, and it has issued a heavy rain watch for Tasman west of Motueka and Fiordland.
Meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said that "given what has happened this week, the land is sensitive to any rainfall. The criteria for this heavy rain watch is lower than it normally would be for that reason. We've decided to give everybody a heads up."
More rain is on the way for Wellington, which will dampen those who are due to flood the capital on Monday ahead of a planned protest march to Parliament on Tuesday morning.
Wellington was also severely impacted by the weather event last week, with more than 150 slips occurring since Thursday due to the sodden conditions.
MetService is forecasting partly cloudy conditions in the capital on Monday, with rain developing around midday, possibly heavy.
🍥 Weather this week won't be as active & stormy but there will still be rounds of rain.
— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) August 21, 2022
🌡️ For most, warmer than average temps for much of the week.
❄️ Cooler air late week may mean snow for some South Island mountains.
🔖 Mountain & urban forecasts: https://t.co/WIN2hPP36o pic.twitter.com/Lgb9d1Q44G
Rain is also expected to fall on Aucklanders on Monday, with showers expected in the morning before the skies clear in the afternoon. Nightfall is expected to bring heavy rain and thunderstorms.