Wellington is the latest city to be affected by severe weather, with fears over a rising stream prompting people to evacuate from the coast as a precaution.
Wellington City Council spokesperson Richard MacLean said 23 people had been evacuated from Happy Valley Road in Owhiro Bay because Owhiro stream was rising.
No water had gone through houses however and with the rain abating, the stream - which runs to the sea - was not expected to breach its banks, Mr MacLean said.
He said people were staying with friends and relatives overnight and police and the Fire Service were standing by in case the situation worsened.
NIWA Weather said in a tweet the city had seen 64.9mm of rain between 4pm and 11pm on Wednesday, making it the largest single-day rainfall in the last year.
Meanwhile, Wellington airport suspended all flights for a time because the rain was interfering with landing systems.
It followed two days of heavy rain across much of the North Island, with hundreds of people forced to evacuate from Whanganui which along with Rangitikei declared a local state of emergency.
