Weather

With little time for the South Island's West Coast to dry out, heavy rain and severe thunderstorms were again lashing the region today.

A small tornado in Kaikoura has lifted a roof and brought down power lines in the coastal township.

Campers have fallen victim to an atrocious start to the year, with heavy rain, gales and snow plaguing the South Island and lower North Island.

South Otago farmers have been advised to move stock, as heavy rain is expected today in Otago and other parts of the South Island.

A further onslaught of wet weather in the South Island has prompted flood warnings to campers and farmers in South Canterbury.

If you were wilting in the scorching heat on Saturday, it was probably because it was one of the hottest January days on record.

After a wet start to the year, the South Island's West Coast and southern areas could be in for even more rain.

The weekend's scorching weather was near the hottest on record in some parts of the South Island, according to Weatherwatch.

Summer has finally returned to the country after a week of heavy rain, gale force winds and, in some places, snow.

A group of trampers were this morning airlifted out of the Kahurangi National Park near Nelson after they were cut off by a landslip last night.