Rain swamps Deep South

Householders and businesses across Southland were mopping up after torrential rain wreaked havoc yesterday afternoon.

The 1 1/2-hour "monsoon-like" downpour flooded properties in Invercargill, Wanaka, Arrowtown and Queenstown.

At least 30mm was dumped throughout the southern centres.

Fire Service Communications Centre shift manager Rewai Grace said more than 60 callouts were received in Invercargill between 2pm and 4pm yesterday before tapering off.

The service was also called out in Wanaka, Arrowtown and Queenstown over the same period.

Invercargill senior station officer Neil Ladbrook said the number of calls forced the service to go into Multiple Incident Procedure, where each call was dealt with before moving on to the next.

Calls came from the Windsor area first, then the central city through to south Invercargill.

"It was everywhere."

Windsor Take Note and Lotto owners Betty and Noel Sinclair said their shop was ankle deep in water after spouting failed to cope with the downpour.

Mrs Sinclair described the loss as "tremendous".

Windsor New World closed its doors around 2pm and began mopping up the water, which came down the south wall, spreading through the store's deli.

At Windsor Pharmacy, staff were at the front of the shop watching the deluge, oblivious to the water flooding into the store behind them.

"We turned around and it was just pouring in," shop manager Susie Lernihan said.

Total Image Hair Skin and Body on Esk St, like many other retailers, had to call the Fire Service because of flooding.

At Myross Bush, Tracey Conner and her family sat out what appeared to be another mini-burst of tornado-like weather that tore through their greyhound kennels.

The concrete-set roof of a kennel, with two puppies inside, was ripped off and dumped on the ground nearby and a roof of a shed was peeled back as high winds ripped through the area.

"I've never been so petrified in my life," Mrs Conner said.

The puppies were not injured.

MetService forecaster Leigh Couper said the deluge was caused by an unstable low pressure area crossing the lower South Island.

Concentrated on Invercargill, the low dumped 19.4mm of rain on the city between 2pm and 3pm. Queenstown recorded a dumping of 8.4mm over the same period.

Environment Southland senior technician Chris Jenkins said the regional council rain gauge at the Waihopai River dam recorded 21.5mm in 10 minutes.

There were no problems with river levels as the storm was localised over the city.

- NZPA