Heavy rain that flooded much of Christchurch has brought down a slip into the back of a house in the port town of Lyttelton.

Dirt and mud has come to rest around the two-storey home in Walkers Rd, high up on the hillside above the township.

Two fire crews and a number of firefighters from Lyttelton are at the scene in an effort to protect the house.

Using shovels they have dug out mud from around the house and created trenches for any excess water that comes off the hill to run into.

Fire crews at a home hit by a landslip in Lyttelton. Photo / George Heard

A river of water as wide as half a metre has come off the property and was running down the road.

Civil defence has also attended the Walkers Rd location to assess the current situation.

The owners of the property were at home and, concerned about the situation, have moved possessions out of the house.

Nearby neighbours have also been at the scene, concerned by the landslip and worried about water coming off the hill and down into their properties.

Fire crews clear a slip around the back of a home in Lyttelton. Photo / George Heard

Christchurch has been hit with torrential rain since Monday night, the Avon River has breached its banks and surface flooding has occurred in a number of streets and properties across the city.

More rain is forecast to fall through to Wednesday, with snow also falling on the alpine passes, closing highways.

A new record monthly rainfall of over 212mm has been set for the month of July, beating the previous record of 199mm, set in 1978.