Heavy rain caused the Waiho River on the West Coast to breach its bank, the upper North Island has been hit by strong winds and MetService said the bad weather was expected to continue into the afternoon.
Severe Thunderstorm Watch includes #Auckland, has been expanded to include BOP & Hamilton https://t.co/9OBa2V63zz pic.twitter.com/rvlVqhkjkC CL
— MetService (@MetService) March 23, 2016
A local state of emergency was declared early this morning on the West Coast, after flooding forced the evacuation of nearly 200 people in Franz Josef.
The chair of the Glacier Country Tourism Group, Rob Jewell, said 80 of the tourists were staying in a welfare centre.
Ensuring the welfare of the town's guests was key, he said.
The Waiho River breached its bank near the town about 11.50pm last night.
Authorities said 186 people were evacuated at different stages as the river first made its way to the Scenic Circle Hotel, and moved towards the Top Ten Holiday Park and the Westwood Lodge.