According to Meridian Energy's website data, Lake Te Anau was at 204.513m above sea level yesterday, well above its normal operating range of between 201.5m and 202.7m.
And Lake Manapouri was at 180.040m, compared to normal operating levels of between 176.8m and 178.6m.
Environment Southland remained on flood watch yesterday as a band of steady rain moved over the headwaters of the two lakes and towards the Mataura River.
The MetService was predicting the band would move further east, dumping a further 100-150mm of rain on catchment areas until today.
Environment Southland's director of environmental management Warren Tuckey said the rain would have a "significant impact" on the region's already swollen rivers.
"We will resume flood warnings if the rainfall and river conditions reach our preset trigger levels, bearing in mind that the catchments are already saturated," Mr Tuckey said.
The Invercargill, Southland district and Gore mayors have put aside $170,000 compensation for the victims of flooding earlier this week.
Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt told The Southland Times there was $170,000 in a flood relief fund for just such an event as this week's floods.
Depending on which part of Southland the flood victims lived in, they should apply for some of the money through Mr Shadbolt, Southland Mayor Frana Cardno or Gore Mayor Tracy Hicks.
The region has been drenched since the weekend, with the worst flooding in 10 years knocking out phone lines to Te Anau, prompting the evacuation of trampers, causing the closure of numerous roads and schools and waterlogging farms.
Environment Southland posted a flood warning at 5.30pm yesterday for the Waiau River which, at Sunnyside, was 3.86m above normal and rising by 137mm an hour.
• Potentially high river flows between Alexandra and Clyde have forced the postponement of an inaugural cycle event between the two towns, which was supposed to be held today.
Clyde and Alexandra primary school staff had organised a bridge to bridge cycle challenge for about 40 pupils in years 5-8.
Clyde Primary School principal Doug White said due to potential for the Clutha River to rise in the next few days, the event had been postponed to May 7.
"We decided to err on the side of caution after looking at the Otago Regional Council's website, and saw they [water levels] were still trending upwards. Even if the track is dry, there is a potentially dangerous river nearby and we want to keep our kids safe," he said.
Pupils were to cycle the dirt riverside track between the Alexandra and Clyde bridges over the Clutha River.
The 10km track has been known to flood in places during or just after heavy rain.
In May last year, a 54-year-old Alexandra man was rescued from the track by the Clyde Coastguard after he became stranded while cycling, due to quickly rising water.
Contact Energy opened the spillways of its dams at Clyde and Roxburgh this week as the Clutha River increased in volume following heavy rain upstream.
Contact Energy generation manager Graham Quinn said the spillways would be kept open today and throughout the weekend, as water levels were predicted to rise.
Yesterday the Clutha River had risen another 10%, from its level on Wednesday, and more rain was forecast, Mr Quinn said.
At Clyde last night, the river was flowing at about 1200cumecs.
Its mean flow in that area was about 490cumecs.
Mr Quinn said water levels were still about one-third of those during the serious floods of 1994, 1995 and 1999.
• At Balclutha, the Clutha River was flowing at 1089.778cumecs at 3.30pm, well above its usual 500cumecs, Clutha district Civil Defence officer Selwyn Vigers said.
He was expecting the Clutha to rise to 1200cumecs over night.
"[That is] still miles away from the first Otago Regional Council flood warning, but we are keeping an eye on things."
Mr Vigers said he was not aware of any flooding in low-lying areas, and it appeared the rainfall was a short-lived event.
"Lake Wakatipu is the big problem at the moment, and we are still watching things down here."
