Dunedin flooding

It might have been one for the ducks in Dunedin today, but that didn't stop a few hardy souls from finding fun in the floodwaters.

Multiple roads in Christchurch remain closed, while SH1 one is closed north of Dunedin and south of Timaru after heavy rain lashed the South Island.

Peter Timbs butcher on Edgeware Rd was flooded for the third time in three weeks on Tuesday morning. Leo said the Christchurch City Council had been responsive. We have an opportunity to become a national park city. In the 48 hours to 7am Wednesday, 110mm of rain fell in the Garden City (60mm is the July average), causing widespread surface flooding. Our ever-changing region has many exigent stories to tell. Evacuated residents were able to return home, a city council spokesperson said. Rain overnight on Monday pushed Christchurch Airport’s reading to 268 millimetres for the month – officially making July the city’s wettest month on record. “I’m not confident that’s going to happen, but we need it. In Christchurch, many anxious homeowners watched and waited as water levels rose. There’s nothing we can do.” On Wednesday, the council said the worst of the weather appeared to be over, with rain easing overnight and no major flooding. Several households in the Waimakariri and Selwyn districts had self-evacuated due to flooding, and had stayed with friends and family, he told RNZ. The Selwyn River had been of concern initially, but had remained far below the first warning level.

Dunedin Civil Defence Emergency Management is this evening evacuating a small number of North Dunedin residents close to the Water of Leith.

Over 55mm of rain has fallen in the garden city in the last 24 hours, setting a new record for rain in the month of July of 212mm. Graeme Hall, System Manager for Waka Kotahi in Otago, says SH1 is likely to close in coming hours north of Maheno at the Kakanui River and north of Hampden at Big Kuri Creek. 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. The heavy rain belting parts of the country looks set to close State Highway 1 between Dunedin and Oamaru overnight. 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. A river of water as wide as half a metre has come off the property and was running down the road. Two fire crews and a number of firefighters from Lyttelton are at the scene in an effort to protect the house. • Leith St, particularly between the foot and road bridges on the left bank of the Water of the Leith Heavy rain that flooded much of Christchurch has brought down a slip into the back of a house in the port town of Lyttelton. A slow-moving front has been moving southwards down the South Island today and is expected to continue overnight through to late Wednesday morning, when the rain is expected to begin easing. The spokesperson said sandbags were available at The Valley Project, next to North East Valley School, and at Victoria Rd car park beside the Dunedin Ice Stadium in South Dunedin, and in Mosgiel at the Memorial Park car park. Dunedin Civil Defence Emergency Management is this evening evacuating a small number of North Dunedin residents close to the Water of Leith.

Dunedin (10pm, Tuesday, 26 July 2022) – Dunedin Civil Defence Emergency Management continues to monitor localised issues as a result of heavy rain in the ...

However, a further 30 to 50 mm of rain is expected to accumulate before 10am tomorrow, on top of what has already fallen in Dunedin, so the situation could change quickly. Sandbags are still available at The Valley Project, next to North East Valley School, on North Road. Sandbags are also available at Victoria Road car park beside the Dunedin Ice Stadium in South Dunedin, and in Mosgiel at the Memorial Park car park. We also continue to keep a close watch on the Lindsay Creek in North East Valley. As a precaution, we have evacuated several patients from the Otago Community Hospice to Mercy Hospital.

State Highway 1, north of Dunedin, at the Waikouaiti River bridge at 9:45am today, then running at 470 cumecs. Photo: Chris Knox/ORC.

At least 30 roads across the Clutha District continue to be affected by surface flooding, with Milton, Waihola and the coast the worst affected areas. Rainfall and high river flows are being closely monitored in Clutha, North Otago and Dunedin, with conditions beginning to ease in the north late this afternoon. Dunedin City Council reported 28 road closures across the city and was responding to about 120 callouts relating to slips, fallen trees and localised flooding while the Waitaki district had 34 road closures and a number of conserve water notices in place.