Bad weather forecast for next week will not last long and will not be as intense as recent events, MetService spokesman Dan Corbett says.
After about a fortnight of persistent rain, much of Otago was in need of fine weather to dry out. However, yesterday's fine, sunny weather was only expected to last until tomorrow evening.
Mr Corbett said a low in the Tasman Sea would bring a band of rain which would centre over the upper South Island and lower North Island from tomorrow until Tuesday.
For Dunedin it would mean some cloudy, drizzly conditions which would start to shift on Tuesday as a southerly came through, clearing conditions on Wednesday, he said.
"You'll just get the southern end of the outbreak."
A high was building in the Tasman Sea and it was hoped it would bring settled weather to the country late next week, Mr Corbett said.
"It'll be the first decent high for several weeks and be a nice break in the cycle of wet weather."
Yesterday, the region's rivers affected by the heavy rain, the Taieri and Shag, had dropped to below their first flood alerts and were nearly back to the levels before the rain.
Otago Regional Council's weekly rain and flow report showed the coastal nature of the rain with sites in and around Dunedin recording well over 100mm for the week, including Sullivan's Dam (194.5mm) and Pine Hill (170.5mm).
In North Otago, the Dasher recorded 133.5mm. Further inland, most sites received under 10mm, although Middlemarch recorded 19mm.
Balclutha recorded 25mm.
