Highways are closed and some schools are shut as rain hammering the central North Island causes major disruptions.
Several state highways in the New Plymouth, Ruapehu, Waitomo areas are closed due to slips and flooding, and some settlements are not able to be accessed.
Slips in the Awakino Gorge have left vehicles stuck and farmland flooded.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is advising people to delay travel through Taranaki as heavy rain continues to cause flooding, slips and road closures expected to be in place until Thursday.
MetService meteorologist Michael Pawley told RNZ that in parts of Waikato such as Cambridge, Waitomo and south of Raglan there had been heavy falls.
"Peak rates between 15 and 20 millimetres per hour in some places and 24 hour accumulations over 100 millimetres."
Pawley said in the Ruapehu District's Tihoi there was 100mm of rain 24 hours.
He said in Taumarunui there had been between 60 and 70mm of rain at some stations.
The weather front was set to move north he said. It had been driven by a lot of moisture dragged in from the Tasman Sea.
A slew of severe weather alerts are in place but most were due to expire by 2pm today, and the rain was due to start easing through the afternoon.
- RNZ/additional reporting Allied Media
