More heavy downpours and strong gales are on the cards for the South Island on Tuesday after two State Highways were closed overnight.
State Highways 8 and 83 near Omarama remained closed on Tuesday morning due to slips and flooding.
Further south, SH94 between Te Anau and Milford was closed due to avalanche hazards and on the West Coast, fallen trees, flooding and strong winds forced SH6 between Haast and Lake Hawea to shut.
"Please take extra care on all roads and plan ahead if you intend to travel on the network today," the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi said in a statement.
There were also reports of Omarama campgrounds and some residents needing to be evacuated from the area just after midnight after the river burst its banks.
Thousands also lost power across the South Island on Monday, with 200 still in the dark on Tuesday morning.
It was a busy evening for line crews - with dust storms, fallen trees and winds exceeding 200km/h battering parts of the Canterbury region.
Steve McDonald, from Canterbury power authority Orion, said good progress had been made.
"We're down to 84 customers without power and when I went to bed last night that was 600," he told AM. "It's a sign of how the team has worked through the night.
"We've worked as the winds have died down - we've worked really tirelessly to get those customers back on."
More wild weather was forecast for the South Island on Tuesday, bringing rain and severe gales.
MetService has heavy rain warnings in place for Otago, Fiordland, Canterbury and Westland.
Civil Defence Emergency Management Canterbury said river levels were expected to remain high on Tuesday.
"In south Canterbury, the Rangitata River is currently flowing at about 600 cumecs at the gorge. Flows are expected to rise significantly higher today and may reach a flow of 1200 cumecs or more later today," Civil Defence said on Tuesday morning.
"Other rivers and streams originating from the main divide were high overnight and some caused localised flooding issues, particularly the Ahuriri, Omarama Stream and Otematata River. These rivers will remain high through today.
"We encourage those with property adjacent to rivers that may be affected to closely monitor their own situation and move stock away from flood-prone areas."
The North Island won't completely avoid the wild weather, with a strong wind warning in place for Wellington and Wairarapa south of Greytown.
"Northwest gales are forecast to be severe in exposed places at times, with gusts reaching 120km/h," MetService said in its severe weather warning.
"Strong wind gusts could damage trees, powerlines and unsecured structures. Driving may be hazardous, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles."
Further north, Auckland has been told to expect rain to turn heavy on Tuesday night.
