Manuherikia prompts flood warning

Unseasonably warm weather in parts of Central Otago has triggered the first flood warning on the Manuherikia River.

The Otago Regional Council warning is triggered when the river reaches 100 cumecs.

At 11am yesterday, the river was running at 103.225 cumecs at Ophir.

ORC director of environmental information and science John Threlfall said the high flow was due to warm temperatures melting snow in the mountains.

He said this was followed by warm rain, which washed the snow off.

"So, we've had several different events happen at once," Mr Threlfall said.

He did not expect the high river flow to continue.

"In fact, it's just started to come back down."

Mr Threlfall said debris was being brought down the Manuherikia because, unlike many other rivers in Otago, it did not get very high during last month's floods.

He said all other Otago rivers were flowing normally.

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