A mother worries for her family's safety, after her son was attacked outside his high school.

MetService warns of a "burst of severe weather" on the public holiday, disrupting travel plans across the country.

Tim Mackay says even lifelong residents were stunned by the intensity of Thursday's weather, which tore through Southland and Clutha.

Watch: Tuatapere was without power, phone or electricity for about 35 hours, until Friday night.

Immunisation Advisory Centre senior adviser Mamaeroa David warns waiting times at hospitals are 3-4 weeks.

RNZ spoke to some of those affected by the latest wild weather in the South Island - here are their stories.

Wild weather has helped fan flames in many areas of the country and a ban on open-air fires will stay in place until Monday.

The mother said her son complained of worsening back pain for nearly two years while in state care. He was later diagnosed with cancer and died.

New Zealand Food Safety has warned against gathering shellfish along the Taranaki coast after dangerous paralytic shellfish toxins were detected.

Firefighters from the Howick station are on their way to the small boat off Waiheke Island.

Latest stats show 72 percent of Māori under-fives are vaccinated, compared to 82 percent for the whole population.

Previously a biannual event, this year's festival marks the start of a new yearly cycle.

The successful Louvre jewel heist has museum directors around the world taking another look at their own patches. Auckland is no exception.

Extreme winds have wreaked havoc across the lower South Island, where some face a week without power.

The Guiness World Record attempt is a statement against a fast track proposal by McCallum Bros to mine sand from Bream Bay.

Authorities say people should check whether their plans will be affected by road closures, power outages and water shortages before travelling around the southern parts of the country.

There are now eight known cases of measles in the country.