UPDATED 8.59PM: Police have recovered an 80-year-old man's body from floodwaters in Petone.

PHOTOS: Flooding across Wellington region

LISTEN: Richard Green - Destructive weather

SCHOOL CLOSURES IN THE WELLINGTON REGION

The man's car was found submerged in water around 11.30 this morning with keys in the ignition.

Staff searched the area and found the man's body in flooded waters near his vehicle late this afternoon in Bracken Street.

Police are working to notify next of kin and the death has been referred to the Coroner.

HOW TO GET HOME

People need to follow specific travel advice when taking the most common routes in and out of Wellington city.

When driving from Wellington to Hutt Valley you will need to go the long way around, via the Ngauranga Gorge and the Haywards Hill Road.

• PHOTOS: Severe flooding in Wellington region
• School closures from Wellington region floods

However, from the Hutt Valley to Wellington, the normal route on State Highway two is still open, you just need to use local roading to get to the Petone onramp.

Heading to Tawa and Porirua from Wellington or vice versa, you can stick to the normal roads.

When it comes to travelling to and from Kapiti, access is very intermittent.

You can get through but expect very long delays.

All train services on the Johnsonville, Kapiti and Wairarapa lines are cancelled and are not expected to resume in the Wellington region until tomorrow afternoon.

The NZTA says significant surface flooding and slips remain at several locations around the network. Track inspections are unable to be carried out until the flooding recedes.  

People stuck for a bed in Wellington tonight should ring the city council.

Ringing 499 4444 will get the temporarily homeless through the council's welfare team, which will sort out a place for the night.

Mayor Celia Wade-Brown says the Central Library's mezzanine floor is available for people to sleep on.

Wade-Brown says the main thing is for people to stay off the roads, unless they're sure they can get home.

FULL STORY

Extensive flooding has caused chaos throughout the Wellington region, with infrastructure under threat, transport suspended, and a number of people rescued or evacuated from rising waters. 

However the region has escaped a second battering this evening after high tide broke after 7pm. 

Around 27 homes have been evacuated throughout the district because of today’s flooding but displaced residents appear to have found accommodation with friends and family.

Residents worried about rising waters are advised to move valuables to a safe place, and to stay out of the water as it could be contaminated with sewerage.

Kapiti's emergency management centre has been activated, and police have brought in extra resources to help in Kapiti, Porirua, and the Hutt Valley.

A Facebook page has been set-up to help those stuck in Wellington due to the floods.

The Kapiti Coast, Porirua, and Hutt Valley are all now dealing with serious flooding events, and the district is struggling to cope after an absolute drenching this morning - roads and schools are closed, slips have blocked the Kapiti train line, and neighbourhoods are flooded.

Flooding is reported from Paekakariki to Otaki.

Train services between Wellington and Wairarapa are cancelled. There are no bus replacements, those who live north of the Rimutakas will need to make alternative travel arrangements. State Highway Two is closed from the Ngauranga Gorge.

New Zealand Transport Agency spokesman Anthony Frith says the entire transport network is congested, and people in the area should avoid travel if they can.

Wellington City Council's Richard Maclean says people are leaving their homes in Tawa as the water levels rise, and are also using sandbags to try and keep the water out.

Tawa Primary School will be closed for the rest of the week due to today's floods. Principal Ian Dewar says the floodwater is up to their chests in parts of the school.

The Waikanae River is rising, and the council says all parks and reserves in the area are closed. Hutt City council is advising anyone with cars in the riverbank carpark to move them. 

Kapiti Coast Mayor Ross Church says the council is keeping an eye on walk bridges over the Waikanae River.

"We're doing everything we possibly can to make sure that everybody is as safe as possible. The message is for people to keep themselves safe, to stay away from the water, to stay away from bridges. Hunker down." 

Porirua Mayor Nick Leggett says people are posting photos and videos playing in the floodwaters, but it's not safe.

"There's significant infiltration of stormwater with sewage in the region so we're asking people to keep away from water, both in their cars and running through water as well, obviously there are health and safety issues with that."

There are no more sandbags available on the Kapiti Coast.

The council depot in Paraparaumu has been distributing sandbags to people throughout the day whose homes are threatened by flooding. Now it's a case of distributing the bags to the homes that are most in need and using the resources carefully.

The council says people should avoid coming to the depot because big trucks are arriving to collect and deliver the bags.

The Fire Service has been inundated with calls and the Wellington Free Ambulance is activating back-up plans.

Head of operations Rob Ives said flooding is affecting access in and out of the area, and the service is working with St John to make sure people can be reached.

He says extra ambulances are coming into the region, in case someone needs to be taken to Palmerston North Hospital for treatment.

Mr Ives says anyone needing urgent medical care should call 111, but if it's not an emergency, to use Healthline - 0800 611 116.

Earlier police rescued a cyclist caught by floodwaters in the Waikanae River. The man was able to call for help on his mobile and was rescued with a digger.  

Newstalk ZB's Tim Fookes said the message isn't getting through that people should stay away from flooded rivers and streams.

"Apparently the man was able to call for help on his mobile phone. He had to be rescued and police are on alert and trying to put out warnings to avoid being on the roads, especially flooded roads."

Waikanae resident Keith Deverall arrived home after spending a nightmare hour and a half on the road.

"Water up to a metre deep on the side of the road around Paraparaumu so we've all given up and come home. I see there were some diggers on their way coming in towards Wellington."

The outlook ahead

MetService forecaster Emma Blades says the rain's expected to ease this afternoon, but won't go away.

"There will be another period of rain developing again tomorrow morning, again with some possible heavy, thundery falls, and then some showers on Staurday."

Blades says Paraparaumu is bearing the brunt of most of the rain.

"Heavy falls are expected there through to this evening. There's also in addition to that a severe weather watch in place for possible heavy rain in Wellington and some North West gales."

Lightning rumours false

The Wellington Girls' College principal says the school hasn't been struck by lightning, as some reports suggest.

Julia Davidson says the school isn't closed.

She says there was a fire alarm, and girls were sent home as they were drenched.