John Lewis

Several schools remain closed today in Christchurch after yesterday's downpour, while further south heavy rain is forecast to continue well into the afternoon.

Leith St resident Aimie Clark, 21, of Christchurch, said she and her flatmates did not leave on the first request to evacuate, believing they would be safe as long as water did not come through their back fence.

A flood-hit State Highway 1 north of Dunedin reopened this afternoon, and this evening the council said it would start to focus on the clean-up after the city copped a soaking.