Heavy rain warnings are in place for several parts of the South Island that have already been hit hard by flooding.
Clutha River remains in flood and more heavy rain is forecast. Photo: RNZ
More rain is predicted overnight in North Otago, the Canterbury region and Nelson ranges.
The Taieri and Clutha rivers remain flooded, but are slowly receding, said Otago Regional Council director of engineering, hazards and science Gavin Palmer.
The flooded rivers continue to cut off residents in the settlement of Henley, near Dunedin.
Rainfall, combined with melting snow and saturated ground, has seen the Kakanui, Kauru, Waianakarua and Shag rivers in North Otago rise.
"So at the moment the Otago Regional Council is just monitoring the situation - we think the flows in those North Otago rivers will get close to something we had earlier in the week, maybe a little less," Dr Palmer said.
"The rivers will be very high [but] there are no settlements that are directly affected by high water levels in those particular rivers."
Canterbury Regional Council has issued a flood warning and is advising farmers living near the Pareora River to move stock to higher ground.
More than 70mm of rain has already fallen in the Pareora catchment, south of Timaru.
Heavy rain warnings are also in place for Rotorua and the Bay of Plenty in the North Island.