Four German tourists had to be rescued early this morning after their campervan was caught in rapidly rising waters in Springston in Canterbury, police say.
Police and fire teams arrived just after 2am and found them huddling together on top of the van on The Lake Road.
The tourists were rescued and taken to accommodation in Christchurch, police said.
About 70mm of rain has fallen in Christchurch over the past 48 hours, as ex-Tropical Cyclone Gita lashed parts of the country.
Video - While many West Coast residents were relieved Cylone Gita did not pack as big of a punch as Fehi, places like Barrytown were still lashed by the strong winds. Video
A Kāpiti Coast resident's home is covered in mud after heavy rain flooded houses in the area last night. Video
Water tankers have been deployed in New Plymouth after cyclone Gita knocked out a water pipe which supplies 25 percent of the district's population.
The wild weather eased as Cyclone Gita moved away further today. See how it all went down with RNZ's live blog with RNZ's live blog.
Selwyn District Council has lifted its state of emergency this afternoon in the wake of Cyclone Gita.
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