Heavy rain warning
A heavy rain warning has been issued for Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury, Westland and the Bay of Plenty.
MetService said that, A large complex low in the Tasman Sea is moving slowly towards the South Island spreading a strong moist northeast flow over New Zealand. An active front is expected to move across northern New Zealand today bringing rain to most of the country. A low should develop on the front and lie east of Otago by Monday evening.
The heaviest falls are expected in Nelson with a further 200mm possible in western parts of the region in addition to the 100mm that has already fallen. This is likely to be a significant rainfall event for Nelson with possible flooding and disruption to transport. A period of heavy rain is also expected for northern parts of Marlborough, Westland south of Hokitika, Canterbury south of the Rakaia, North Otago, Dunedin and also for Bay of Plenty.
People in all these areas should be aware streams and rivers are likely to rise rapidly and driving conditions become hazardous.