A warning for those in weather affected zones to be vigilant as it starts to get dark

Otorohanga and Waipa have been put under states of emergency and Tairawhiti is bracing for heavy rain.

In Waipa's Pirongia the water supply has suffered serious damage.

A man has died in Otorohanga after his car became submerged in flood waters on State Highway 39 and 80 people have been evacuated to churches and marae.

Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell has been visiting Tairawhiti and Otorohanga to figure out what financial assistance the central government can provide.

He says people need to take these weather events seriously.

Mitchell says flood waters are deadly and shouldn't be approached or driven through.