More heavy rain and strong winds are being forecast for New Zealand today.

The West Coast is set to get the worst of the torrential rain that has been drenching parts of the region.

MetService says up to 450mm of rain hit Westland on Wednesday and another 350mm is forecast by 9pm on Thursday.

There are eight orange heavy rain warnings in the South Island, and one in Taranaki.

SH6 from Franz Josef to Makarora was closed overnight and the Waiho River has breached an alert level.

Meanwhile, in the Bay of Plenty, rain is forecast to become more frequent this evening.

Tomorrow, rain is expected to be heavy at times, easing late in the evening.

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.

Follow Thursday's weather updates with RNZ's blog: