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Canterbury Plains from Mt Hutt - Source: Wikimedia Commons -
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Heavy rain and gales battering parts of the country today are expected to ease overnight.
Rain about the South Island has slowed and severe gales for Marlborough, Wellington and Wairarapa are easing tonight.
A front is due to move over the North Island tomorrow morning from the east of the upper South Island tonight.
It has already brought heavy rain Fiordland, Westland, and the Otago and Canterbury Headwaters.
The rain is also easing in Buller and Nelson with the weather warning in the area being lifted.
However, a further 20-30mm is likely about the ranges until midnight tonight.
Meanwhile, strong winds, with gusts of 120 km/h, about Canterbury is easing, with those affecting northern parts of Marlborough, Wellington, and the Wairarapa expected to die down tonight.
People in the affected areas are being urged to exercise caution, and check here for the weather forecast in their area.
Power outages hit Canterbury
Earlier today, power outages affected small towns inland of Canterbury as winds picked up in the area.
Both Springfield and Hororata, which are about an hour inland from Christchurch, have reportedly suffered from power outages caused by gusty weather.
Further north, in the town of Oxford the wind has blown the fire-damaged roof off one home.
Over in the West Coast, the town of Runanga is experiencing some surface flooding.
The weather was also reportedly gusty in Wellington. However there were no reports of issues resulting from the wind.