Heavy rain is beginning to take its toll in the upper South Island's west, with the worst still to come.
Pictures taken by 1News show debris and flooding on State Highway 6 between Nelson and Blenheim on Thursday afternoon.
The road is expected to be closed overnight and possibly remain closed on Friday.
Earlier on Thursday, Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency had to pull a car out of floodwaters on the road.
Water levels are rising quickly and there’s a number of areas between Hira and Rai Valley where water is covering the roads.
MetService has issued a heavy rain warning for much of the upper South Island and West Coast, with 250-380mm of rain still expected to fall by Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, emergency teams in Buller were making arrangements in case there was a need for mandatory evacuations.
The Buller Emergency Operations Centre is encouraging people to evacuate if they can, "easily do so to friends and family outside of Westport".
"The message is simple, if you are concerned for your safety please self-evacuate. Police are running 24/7 patrols of properties which have, or will be, evacuated to provide extra assurance for those considering this option.
If not, please make sure your grab bags are ready, connect with friends and family, assist neighbours to get ready, and make sure your car is ready to go.”
In the past 24 hours, about a month’s worth of rainfall fell in the region.
State Highway 6 between Fox Glacier and Haast Pass Lookout was closed because of flooding and slips.
South Westland Area School and Haast School were closed on Thursday and Friday due to the weather.
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