Hundreds of people in Marlborough and Westport are spending the night away from home after being forced out by floodwaters, as rain continues to fall across the centre of the country.

A man has lost his car, caravan and many of his possessions after the vehicles were submerged near the Motueka River and he was rescued by helicopter.

Parts of the West Coast and top of the South Island have been cut off due to flooding, while states of emergency have been declared in some regions. Here is a summary of what is happening in each area.

A pod of orca may have been sighted near where a baby orca stranded last Sunday, but weather conditions make it unsafe for further investigation.

Sam's Take: The final two episodes of Loki have dropped, and Sam Rillstone is here to unpack what the season finale means for the fractured future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The police national dive squad has found the body of a man reported missing in Wellington.

A number of towns at the top of the South Island have been isolated, while Marlborough and Buller have declared local states of emergency.

The NZ Army brought in five army trucks to help evacuate Westport residents as floodwaters rose last night, with most residents well aware of the significance of the danger they faced.

A scientist helping to look after an orphaned orca believes his family will almost certainly return, it is just not known when.

Greenpeace is carrying out water testing for Southland households this weekend to check their bore water for nitrate contamination.

The Nurses Organisation has agreed to consider the government's pay offer and lifted a two-day strike notice.

Traffic was disrupted around the country today, with convoys of tractors and utes with dogs on board arriving in dozens of centres around New Zealand, as farmers protested against government regulations.

It's called real world learning as Bush Farm Education takes children out of the classroom into nature, Frank Film investigates.

A close eye is being kept on the Buller River, with heavy rain and flooding sparking a state of emergency.

After Shane Conza helped Eli Epiha hide a gun after the shooting of two police officers, the pair were stopped by a patrol. Epiha, who had earlier committed murder, told Conza to act cool.

Analysis - International analyst Geoffrey Miller looks over the lessons from the special APEC summit.

Covid-19 vaccinations for entire communities in rural Whanganui have begun.

A man who was shot by police at a busy Auckland intersection yesterday has been released from hospital and charged with multiple offences.