Rivers dropping, roads still closed

Authorities are working to reopen Dunedin roads hit by slips after a night of heavy rain as flooding continues to cause problems elsewhere with State Highway 1 north of Oamaru now closed.

On the Otago Peninsula contractors have opened one lane of Harington Point Road to traffic and the Dunedin City Council says Portobello Road, which is blocked by a fallen tree, will be open to single lane traffic later today. Until then motorists can detour via Castlewood Road and Doon Street. 

On the Taieri, Three Mile Hill Road is closed because of flooding and Silverstream Valley Road is closed at the Scout Camp due to a large slip and fallen trees. For latest updates click here

North of Dunedin a large slip near the old quarry has closed Mt Cargill Road.

Elsewhere, State Highway 1 at Pukeuri, north of Oamaru, was closed shortly before noon with a detour via 7 Mile Road, and police are warning of surface flooding on SH85 near Ranfurly, in the Maniototo.

Waterways including the Taieri River at Outram and the Shag River near Palmerston triggered their first flood warning this morning but flows in these and other rivers in the region are now dropping, the Otago Regional Council advised at 10.30am today. For latest river information click here

Rain is predicted to ease and clear this afternoon.

The rain, which caused minor slips and surface flooding in Dunedin last night in places where drains and culverts could not cope, was "just the tonic" for the region, which for three months out of the last four had failed to reach its monthly average rainfall, consultant hydrologist Dave Stewart said.

"It's desperately needed."

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The last time the region saw more than 12mm of rain was on May 8, when 54mm was recorded at Musselburgh, Dunedin and 37mm at Dunedin airport. That caused slips, blocked drains, surface flooding and rivers to rise.

MetService yesterday continued to warn of 100mm to 150mm of rain falling until early this morning, as a southerly front stalled over the South Island.

By 9pm yesterday 95mm had fallen at Waitati, 78mm at Oamaru, 60mm at Dunedin airport, 73mm in Dunedin and 30mm at Balclutha.

In the hills around Dunedin in the 24 hours to 3pm, 58mm fell at Sullivans Dam, 42mm at Pine Hill and 81.5mm at Swampy Summit.

However, Wanaka received only 13mm and Queenstown 7mm until 9pm.

While no update was available for Alexandra last night, 4mm was recorded in the 24 hours to 4pm yesterday.

As darkness fell last night, Dunedin was starting to feel the full impact of the rain.

Streams of water from a hillside ran around and underneath homes in District Rd, Green Island, and a blocked culvert between Wills St, in Balaclava and Lindsay Rd caused a minor slip that sent water rushing through properties in Lindsay Rd.

A culvert blocked with gorse detritus diverted its contents along Kaka Rd in St Leonards and through the home of an elderly couple. Surface flooding affected many properties in Mosgiel and around Dunedin.

The Water of Leith reached its first flood warning level of 55cumecs about 8pm.

Mr Stewart said the rain was good news for farmers, who needed the rain for continued grass growth.

While it would cause freshes in the rivers, that was probably a good thing as it "would clean them out a bit", he said.

"It's not too heavy, so the ground is soaking up quite a bit. It's just the tonic for grass growth. Farmland will be soaking it up."

By early yesterday, the heavy rain had put the head of the Pomahaka River in flood and led to surface flooding on several roads in West Otago, particularly at Kelso, which received 35mm to 3pm yesterday. Flooding closed State Highway 90 between Tapanui and McNab.

Adam McCall, who farms beside the Pomahaka near Kelso, was alerted by flood warnings at 2.30am yesterday and began shifting dairy cattle.

"The warning was probably a bit premature, as the river didn't come on the property until 4.30pm. It's been rising ever since," he said.

The Pomahaka is now dropping.

Toko Mouth Rd, near Milton, reopened late afternoon after it was closed because of flooding.