Wild weather has hammered the country yet again this week in the ninth severe weather event to hit Aotearoa in the last two months as experts explain how climate change could be a factor. Video / NZ Herald
New Zealand Army staff have been put on standby in Dunedin due to the heavy rain forecast for the city.
Dunedin and North Otago residents are being urged to watch for rapidly rising streams and rivers, surface flooding and slips after MetService issued a heavy rain warning for those areas today and tomorrow.
In addition to the 20 to 30mm of rain which had already accumulated, Dunedin could expect a further 60 to 90mm until 11am on Wednesday, with peak rates of 10 to 15mm per hour, a MetService spokesman said.
Dunedin and North Otago residents are being urged to watch for rapidly rising streams and rivers. Photo / Otago Daily Times
North Otago would also experience periods of heavy rain. In addition to the 30 to 40mm which has already fallen, a further 60 to 90mm was forecast until 8am tomorrow, at peak rates of 10 to 15mm per hour.
Rain was falling steadily in Dunedin this morning. Photo / Gregor Richardson
Heavy rain was also forecast for Clutha until 1pm tomorrow.
A MetService spokesman said a front was forecast to move slowly southwards over northern and central New Zealand today, bringing a broad band of rain with some heavy falls, and easterly to northeasterly gales.
An associated low to the west of the upper North Island would also move slowly southwards, then weaken and cross the South Island tomorrow.
Steady rain is falling in Dunedin and there was surface flooding on Portobello Rd this morning.
The Dunedin City Council and Waitaki District Council have activated their Emergency Response Centres in response to the downpour, emergency management Otago group manager Matt Alley said.
"We continue to monitor the rainfall across the region and watch for any impacts that this may have. The ground is really saturated following the last few weeks of wet weather and we may see slips, and surface flooding by the end of the day."
A New Zealand Defence Force spokesman said that the New Zealand Army had a liaison officer currently embedded with Civil Defence Dunedin.
There was also a team of 25 reserve personnel from the 2nd/4th Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment on standby to assist if required, the spokesman said.
A Dunedin City Council spokesman said staff and contractors were actively preparing ahead of the forecasted heavy rain for the area.
"The ground is already very wet following recent rain. Further significant rain could cause flooding and slips and make driving difficult."
He said staff and contractors began checking stormwater and wastewater systems yesterday and road maintenance contractors had been sweeping gutters around the city and doing additional checks of mud tanks in low-lying and high-risk areas.
"We are also asking any residents who notice a blocked mud tank near their home to clear debris onto the footpath, where it will be picked up by contractors when the weather clears.
"We will continue to closely monitor the situation and contractors will be on call to respond to issues as and when they arise."
Also as a result of the forecast, a small section of Portobello Rd near the Marne St intersection would remain closed due to a rockfall until at least Wednesday.
Contractors were on site over the weekend and managed to remove a substantial amount of rock from the cliff, but an even larger amount still needs to be removed.
"As more heavy rain is forecast, the road must remain closed to ensure public safety.
"A detour remains in place via Doon St."
Alpine roads closed
Snow has affected South Island alpine passes, with weather warnings in force, and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency advised travellers in the South Island to check their route before they set off today.
Some inland passes from South Canterbury into Otago are closed due to heavy snow.
They are Burkes Pass (State Highway 8 - Fairlie to Twizel), the Lindis Pass (SH8 Omarama to Tarras) where up to 10cm of snow is forecast and ploughing underway, and SH80 Aoraki/Mt Cook to Ben Ohau (intersection with SH 8).
It is possible that more highways may be closed due to flooding as the day progresses, Waka Kotahi's journey manager Tresca Forrester said.
"Please slow down and drive to the conditions if there is surface flooding to avoid making waves. People should expect roads that are open to being slower than usual with damage from last week's storm creating some slower patches in many places across our network."
The Arthur's Pass/ Porters Pass route on SH73 between Canterbury and the West Coast opened after 8.30am today after being closed last night due to snow. However, both passes are closed to towing vehicles.
SH8 Twizel to Omarama, and SH83 Omarama to Pukeuri are also closed to towing vehicles but open with extreme caution for other vehicles.
Snow blankets the Crown Range, linking Queenstown and Wanaka, this morning. Photo / MetService
Meanwhile, snow to 300 metres in the Mackenzie Basin is forecast.
The Crown Range, linking Queenstown and Wanaka, is open but between 10cm to 15cm of snow was forecast to accumulate above 800 metres with lesser amounts lower down to 300 metres until 3pm today.
Chains must be used between Eastburn Gates and Chainbay 1, a spokesman for the Queenstown Lakes District Council said this morning.
More flooding for Canterbury
Weather warnings are in place also for an already sodden Canterbury, with more flooding expected.
The Avon and Heathcote rivers have breached their banks this morning after torrential rain overnight.
Heavy rain south of the Rakaia River is forecast from 2am today until 4am tomorrow, with 100mm to 130mm expected to accumulate about the foothills and lesser amounts elsewhere.
Heavy rain is also expected to continue falling in the region north of the river until midnight tonight, however, this was expected to ease during the afternoon and evening.
🟧 Severe Weather Update 🟨
This round of rainfall for eastern parts of the South Island is falling on already sodden ground so expect impacts faster.
