Severe wet weather affected the Tasman, Nelson and Marlborough Districts of New Zealand's South Island in late June 2025. On 26 June, a state of emergency was declared in the Wairau-Awatere Ward of Marlborough due to heavy rain and flooding. By 27 June, another state of emergency was declared in Nelson and Tasman due to heavy rain and flooding. Areas that experienced serious flooding included Spring Creek and the Motueka Valley. The wet weather caused the death of one person in the Wai-iti River, displaced several residents in the Marlborough and Tasman Districts, and disrupted flights. On 30 June, the Minister of Agriculture Todd McClay classified the flooding in Tasman, Nelson and Marlborough as a "medium adverse event" due to flood damage to farm infrastructure, tracks, pastures and orchards in the three districts.
On 3 July, the state of emergency in Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough was extended for another seven days in response to incoming heavy rain. MetService also issued heavy rain watches and warnings for several parts of the South and North Islands. That same day, these areas experienced a second wave of heavy rainfall but avoided further flooding. On 5 July, Nelson-Tasman Civil Defence described the recent flooding in Nelson and Tasman as the worst in 150 years.
On 11 July, the Nelson-Tasman region experienced a third wave of flooding, leading to more evacuations and serious damage to local property and infrastructure. Other parts of the North and South Islands also experienced wet weather and strong winds.
Meteorological history
On 25 June 2025, MetService issued several weather warnings and wind watches across New Zealand in response to a weather front bringing heavy rain and gales across the South Island. These included orange heavy rain warnings for the Tasman District north-west of Motueka, the headwaters of the Canterbury and Otago lakes and rivers, the mountain ranges of the Westland District and Fiordland north of Doubtful Sound. MetService also forecast that the Tasman District would experience of rain from midnight 25 June and thunderstorms. The Tasman District Council also forecast that the western part of the region would experience heavy rain between 26 and 27 June, spreading from the western part of the region towards population centres in Nelson and Richmond. The Tasman District Council's hydrology team said that moderate flood flows were expected in the Aorere River, Tākaka River, and Riuwaka River catchments. The three regions' rivers Maitai, Wairau and Waimea were expected to reach their annual flood levels. A 4.3 metre high tide was predicted for Nelson on the night of 26 June. Heavy rain watches were issued for the Taranaki Region, Marlborough District, Nelson, Tasman, southeast Motueka and the fringes of the Grey District. Strong wind watches were also issued for Marlborough, the Wellington Region, the Canterbury high country, Central Otago, and parts of the Southland Region and Fiordland. On 5 July 2025, MetService estimated that Blenheim had received a record of rain in June 2025. Nelson had received a record of rain in the same month.
By 29 June, MetService meteorologist Michael Pawley reported that weather was easing across the country as the low pressure system moved to the east of New Zealand, with some showers remaining. The improving weather allowed flood recovery efforts to commence in the Nelson-Tasman region.
On 30 June, MetService forecast further thunderstorms, wind and rain in the Tasman and Nelson regions during the first week of July. MetService's head of weather news Heather Keats said that a wet weather front bringing thunderstorms, rain and north-easterly winds was expected to reach the upper South Island on 2 July, followed by a second wave on 4 July. Keats forecast that Nelson, Blenheim, Buller and Marlborough were expected to experience heavy rain and thunderstorms. On 2 July, MetService issued an orange rain warning for the Tasman District northeast of Motueka from 3 am to 6 pm from 3 July, with of rain expected in most areas. MetService also forecast in Tasman, Nelson, and the area southeast of Motueka. In addition, MetService issued orange rain warnings for the Gisborne District and Taranaki. Yellow rain warnings were also issued for the Auckland Region, Northland Region and Waikato.
On 10 July, Nelson-Tasman Emergency Management issued a pre-emptive state of emergency in Nelson-Tasman in response to MetService's orange heavy rain warning for the region. MetService predicted that the third weather front would approach the region from 9 am, bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds by midday. This front, preceded by a strong moist northerly flow, was forecast to spread east across New Zealand between 11 and 12 July. This weather front was forecast to affect Nelson, Tasman, parts of Marlborough and southern Taranaki, which had experienced heavy rain in late June 2025. In response to Metservice's warning, MetService advised residents to move livestock to higher ground, clear waterways or debris, and avoid unnecessary road travel. Metservice also issued heavy rain warnings for the Northland, Auckland regions, the Coromandel Peninsula and Waikato region. In addition, heavy rain watches were issued for southern Waikato, Bay of Plenty, and northern Taranaki while strong wind watches were issued for Taihape, Whanganui, and Banks Peninsula.
By the evening of 11 July, MetService reported that the northern parts of the South Island were experiencing of rain per hour. Parts of Tasman had experienced over of rain in the past 24 hours, with some rivers exceeding the one in five year flow rates. Meanwhile, the Northland region experienced of rain per hour. By 7:16 pm, the heaviest rain band had moved to the east of New Zealand. 1News weather presenter Daniel Corbett warned that river levels would rise for the next few hours due to rainfall passing through water catchments. By 10:17 pm, MetService had lifted its red heavy rain warning for the Tasman District southeast of Motueka. By midnight, orange heavy rain warnings were lifted in Northland, Auckland (including Great Barrier Island), northwest Tasman, Waikato, Mount Taranaki, and the Nelson-Marlborough region. In addition, strong wind watches for Northland, Auckland, the Tasman District, northern Taranaki, Taihape, Whanganui and coastal Otago were also lifted.
By early morning 12 July, MetService had lifted all wet weather watches and warnings apart for a heavy rain watch for the Westland District's ranges. MetService forecaster Oscar Shiviti estimated that parts of the Tasman region experienced of rain on 11 July; with Paradise Peak receiving , Perry Saddle , Tākaka and Tākaka Hill . MetService confirmed that Nelson had received of rain in the first 11 days of July 2025, above its July rainfall average of . MetService reported that Nelson had experienced of rain in June 2025, above its June rainfall average of .
June 2025 Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough In response to MetService's heavy rain watch for Marlborough, the Marlborough District Council ordered a precautionary evacuation of the Spring Creek township on 25 June due to the cracked stopbanks straddling the Wairau River. Residents were also instructed to clear drains and gutters in their properties. On 26 June, the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi warned motorists that the Auckland Harbour Bridge could be closed on 27 June due to strong winds.
In the morning of 27 June, local authorities reported flooding in Richmond, Motueka, Brightwater and parts of the Tasman District. By 4am, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) had responded to eight-weather related call outs in Richmond and Motueka. By 6am, the Mayor of Marlborough Nadine Taylor had declared a local state of emergency to facilitate the evacuation of Spring Creek in response to concerns that the Wairau River would breach its banks. Several Spring Creek residents criticised the Marlborough District Council for delaying work on strengthening the Spring Creek stop bank following the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake and the 2021 Wairau flood. The Council had previously allocated NZ$8.7 million to the Spring Creek stop bank in May 2024, with work expected to start in November 2025. In addition to Marlborough Emergency's safety checks, the New Zealand Defence Force and New Zealand Police dispatched personnel to Spring Creek to assist with evacuations and maintaining order.
On 27 June, Marlborough Emergency Management warned residents in Renwick area to be ready to evacuate in response to an unstable river bank at the confluence of the Wairau and Waihopai Rivers. In addition, the Tasman District Council warned residents near the Motueka River between Tapawera and Riwaka to be ready to evacuate. By 9:48 am, mayor of Tasman Tim King had declared a state of emergency in the Nelson-Tasman region. By 10:02 am, FENZ reported 25 weather-related callouts throughout the Nelson-Tasman region including a person trapped in a car in Lower Moutere. Later that morning, the Marlborough District Council closed several roads due to flooding include parts of State Highway 6, State Highway 1 and State Highway 63. Civil Defence also set up an evacuation centre at the Stadium 2000 in Blenheim.
During the morning of 27 June, Minister of Emergency Management Mark Mitchell travelled to Blenheim, where he was briefed by Marlborough mayor Taylor about Marlborough Emergency Management's flood response efforts including the evacuation of Spring Creek residents. By noon, Nelson/Tasman Civil Defence group controller Andrew White said that of rain had fallen in the region in the last 12 hours. By 1:49 pm, flooding was reported at Spring Grove between Brightwater and Wakefield.
By 3:17 pm on 27 June, the NZTA's Nelson/Tasman system manager Rob Service confirmed that several state highways in the region had been closed due to flooding, including State Highway 60 over its whole length (from Collingwood to Richmond). Later that day, FENZ and Hato Hone St John responded to an injured driver whose vehicle had been trapped by flooding near the Kaituna River. By evening, some roads including the sections of State Highway 6 between Nelson and Blenheim, and State Highway 60 between Richmond and Collingwood had reopened. Civil Defence also issued evacuation orders for Tapawera, Tadmor and Riwaka due to rising water levels in the Motueka River. Renwick residents were evacuated on the night of 27 June. 20 people also became stranded when the Waiau Uwha River flooded.
On the morning of 28 June, the Tasman District Council confirmed that the district was still under a state of emergency despite declining rain and river levels. In addition, the Motueka Emergency Assistance and Information Centre assisted 16 people overnight, housed three displaced residents, and found alternative accommodation for six others. In the late afternoon, the Marlborough District Council warned Blenheim residents that the town's sewer system had been inundated by flooding and advised them to reduce toiler flushing. In addition, the Te Tau Ihu Māori iwi (tribal) grouping and Nelson City Council issued a rāhui (customary tapu) prohibiting the collection of seafood and wild game in the coastlines, rivers and flooded areas of the upper South Island as a health precaution. By the evening, serious flood damage had been reported in the Motueka Valley including a family home being swept hundreds of metres away in nearby fields.
On 28 June, the Marlborough District Council dispatched emergency personnel and a fuel truck to restore power to the Wairau Valley township, which had experienced significant flood damage including the loss of power. That same day, a male Tasman emergency worker died after being hit by a tree while clearing flood damage in the Wai-iti River.