Cartoon - New Zealand has taken a pounding in recent months with heavy rains causing widespread flooding, closing roads and forcing mass evacuations.

Much of the North Island was lashed with rains and wind overnight, although the storm did not wreak quite as much havoc as initially feared.

Look back at RNZ's coverage of that event here.

Pretty much the whole town of Edgecumbe was forced to evacuate last week when the Rangitāiki River burst it banks, sending a wall of water through the Bay Of Plenty settlement.

And in the last few months it has been one dismal weather event after another.

Toby Morris wonders, could they ... be linked?