Updated 12.36am: Freezing temperatures have caused water pipes to burst as far north as the Waikato.

Firefighters responded to 10 weather-related callouts in Auckland and Hamilton yesterday.

South Island firefighters were sent to 32 jobs, the majority of which were in Christchurch for burst water pipes or alarms malfunctioning as temperatures plummeted to minus five degrees.

Burst pipes flooded three homes and a school in Hamilton and another house in Putaruru, in South Waikato.

Hamilton man Lizheng Wu said his house is now unliveable after bust pipes sent water flooding through his home.

Burst pipes in Hamilton flooded three homes and a school, and many residents in the city's northern suburbs had to wait hours for their pipes to thaw.

Lazer plumbers in the north of the city say they're flat out, and that their phone has been ringing off the hook.

In the central city, Dr Plumber's callouts have nearly tripled.

Plumber Greig Gonano said they haven't had a winter this bad for years.

"We would have taken care of at least five internal pipes which had burst in the roof space of people's property, and about the same number for under the house."

Woodridge resident Keryn Doughty said this is the first winter their plumbing has frozen solid.

"Saturday we had water around lunchtime, and Sunday we had basically no water. Toilets wouldn't flush, nothing. Everything was frozen."

And in Christchurch, the city council received over 100 calls yesterday, after temperatures dropped to -5.

Staff are advising people with frozen pipes to run their cold water tap for up to an hour to get the water flowing and defrost the pipes.

With more cold nights expected locals are also being advised to fill up a couple of bottles of water in the evening, in case it's needed to defrost the car or boil the jug in the morning.