Photo: RNZA local State of Emergency has been declared in Banks Peninsula as heavy rain causes flooding, slips, fallen trees and communication outages in the area. Earlier, a driver had to be rescued after their car got stuck in floodwaters in Banks Peninsula as heavy rain lashes parts of Canterbury. Walklin said fire crews responded to 16 weather-related incidents in Banks Peninsula last night, including the rescue, mostly in Little River. Boil water notice issuedChristchurch City Council has issued a boil water notice for Wainui on Banks Peninsula due to damage caused by floods. Diamond Harbour School on Banks Peninsula is closed.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 17, 2026 01:21 UTC