It is too early to say whether a fire that killed a woman and a child overnight is suspicious, police say.

A major elderly care operator has accused health authorities of a "witch hunt" over the closure of a rest home.

An inspection team finds a 103-year-old woman tied to her bed with a sheet, during an audit of a Palmerston North rest home.

A severe weather warning is issued for the lower North Island while police warn of surface flooding in Auckland.