KEY POINTS
• Flights in and out of Wellington Airport have been suspended
• The Whanganui River is expected to breach its banks, leading to evacuations from low-lying areas this afternoon.
• State of emergency declared in Whanganui and Rangitikei.
• Auckland has had a month of rain in 24 hours.
• About 19,000 properties were without power in Papatoetoe, Manukau and Wiri this afternoon. Power has since been restored to the area.
• About 200 homes around Auckland are still without power.
• The worst of the weather is over in Auckland but thunderstorms could still hit before 10pm, MetService says
• Central North Islanders are being told to keep survival items nearby
• For live updates, stay with us or tune into Newstalk ZB
• The Whanganui River is expected to breach its banks, leading to evacuations from low-lying areas this afternoon.
• State of emergency declared in Whanganui and Rangitikei.
• Auckland has had a month of rain in 24 hours.
• About 19,000 properties were without power in Papatoetoe, Manukau and Wiri this afternoon. Power has since been restored to the area.
• About 200 homes around Auckland are still without power.
• The worst of the weather is over in Auckland but thunderstorms could still hit before 10pm, MetService says
• Central North Islanders are being told to keep survival items nearby
• For live updates, stay with us or tune into Newstalk ZB
The big wet has arrived with a vengeance, and it's not done with New Zealand yet.
Today, much of the upper North Island copped the worst of it: homes were flooded, landslips caused heartache, roads and schools closed, public transport was disrupted and many residents were simply told to stay home as the tail of deadly Cyclone Debbie lashed the country.
Planes are grounded at Wellington Airport tonight and arriving flights are being diverted as wild weather continues to play havoc.
The weather was "affecting flight systems", the airport said, and travellers are being urged to check the status of their flights online.
MetService meteorologist Brian Mercer said Northland, Auckland, Waikato, and the Central Plateau were bracing for thunderstorms overnight, but should be down to normal levels of rainfall tomorrow.
Many Whanganui residents are spending tonight huddled in Whanganui Girls College, or St Paul's Church, after being evacuated.
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SEE ALSO:Â Auckland Mayor Phil Goff: Areas hit hardest
Tomorrow the middle of the country is in the firing line, with the Whanganui River at Pipiriki forecast to peak 13.3 metres by midnight; leading to evacuations from low-lying areas this afternoon and defence force personnel helping prepare for flooding.
A state of emergency had earlier been declared in the Whanganui and Rangitikei districts.
LISTEN: Darryl Mallett: More evacuations underway in Whanganui
Auckland's been soaked by a month's worth of rain in the past 24 hours, leaving nearly 20,000 homes without power this afternoon, and causing roads closures and slips. Fire services had responded to 144 flood-related callouts by 5.30pm.
A landslide crashed through a block of flats at Kohimarama last night. It was one of many affecting residents across the city in the last two days - one slip across Landing Rd in Titirangi has cut off access to a dozen residents.
It will be a wet commute home for city-slickers; another 80mm is forecast to fall in Auckland before 10pm, Metservice warned. But the heaviest rain is now over and the city is in cleanup mode.
Further south, Waikato and Waitomo can expect 120mm before midnight, and there are also rain warnings for Coromandel, Bay of Plenty and Taranaki.
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