Previous storms have weakened the Peninsula Road stop bank, and Marlborough Civil Defence is asking 70 households in Spring Creek to evacuate by 9am and stay away till 5pm.

As the weather moves up the country, there are severe thunderstorm watches for Northland, Auckland, Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty.

RNZ is New Zealand's statutory civil defence lifeline radio broadcaster, providing vital information and updates as they come to hand.

Check out the frequencies here.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) advises that in times of crisis or civil defence emergency a battery powered radio or a car radio remain essential lifelines if power is out and other forms of communication are unavailable.