Canterbury residents are being asked to brace for severe weather, as the heavy rain that drenched parts of the country on Tuesday heads south.
MetService has a heavy rain warning in place for Eastern Marlborough south of Blenheim, and the Canterbury Plains north of the Rangitata River, including the foothills and Christchurch.
About 100mm to 150mm of rain is expected to fall around parts of Canterbury and Marlborough, the forecaster said.
Christchurch City Council has pumps on standby in case of flooding.
There are also multiple slips that are causing blockages on State Highway 1 between Blenheim and Kaikōura on Wednesday morning.
People are being asked to delay their travel on that stretch of the road, with rockfall presenting a risk of injury.
There are also heavy rain warnings for Tasman about and west of Motueka, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, and Gisborne.
Meanwhile, severe thunderstorm watches are in place for the lower North Island, including in Wellington, the Wairarapa, Whanganui, and Manawatū.
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