Civil Defence is closely monitoring flood-prone parts of Christchurch and Banks Peninsula, which are being drenched by rain.
In a Facebook post this evening, Selwyn Civil Defence said it had activated an emergency operations centre in the afternoon to coordinate the response and community support for the severe weather event currently affecting the district and wider Canterbury region.
Environment Canterbury has issued a warning for rising river levels, and Civil Defence urged Selwyn Huts residents to self-evacuate as a precaution.
In the first instance residents should try to find accommodation with friends or family. Anyone requiring assistance with evacuation or accommodation should contact the council on 0800 SELWYN (0800 735 996).
An emergency centre has been set up at Lincoln Event Centre to provide short-term, drop-in support.
Happy Jacks Creek near Hororata has breached its banks. There is no indication of immediate danger to any property but Civil Defence advise people to self-evacuate if they have concerns.
Any residents concerned about life-threatening or immediate flooding danger should call 111 and ask for Fire and Emergency.
Up to 125mm of rain was forecast to fall on Banks Peninsula and 50mm to 75mm in the city and on the Port Hills today.
The heavy rain will coincide with higher than normal tides this afternoon, so some flooding is expected in low-lying coastal areas and around the rivers.
Roads closed in Canterbury
Waka Kotahi/NZ Transport Agency advised late this afternoon that many highways and local roads were closed in Canterbury, the West Coast and the Lindis Pass into Otago.
Heavy rain, snow and gale-force winds continue to keep key routes closed across the South Island his afternoon heading into the night.
Contractors were working hard to clear debris and traffic management would be in place in some areas. Drivers should factor this into their travel plans and be prepared for delays.
Even where roads are open, road users should be alert to the dangers of surface water, rising river levels, rockfalls, fallen trees, and slips, Tresca Forrester, Journey Manager Waka Kotahi, said.
“Some roads will have debris over them and flooding which makes them particularly unsafe overnight."
State Highway 73 between Springfield and Castle Hill was expected to be closed all afternoon and potentially overnight.
SH8 is closed between Fairlie and Twizel, and SH79 is closed between Gudex Rd and the SH8 intersection.
Police said there were four cars stuck on SH80 and a snow plough was working to get them out. About 12.45pm there was also a car stuck in snow on SH79 near Geraldine.
Meanwhile, highways where power lines or trees have been knocked over by the gale-force winds have been closed until power company crews can safely remove them.
Roads affected
Most of these closures (below) are “Until further notice” so people need to check them on the Waka Kotahi/NZTA traffic and travel map. Many may stay closed overnight, Waka Kotahi advised.
Closures – Marlborough/Canterbury and into the Lindis Pass/ Otago
SH1 Seddon to Kaikōura – flooding
SH73 Springfield to Castle Hill (Porters Pass) – snow
SH73 Castle Hill to Arthurs Pass - snow - 8 am update Wednesday
SH77 Darfield to Rakaia Gorge Bridge – flooding
SH77 Between Blackford Road and Mt Hutt Station Road – washout Detour northbound use Mt Hutt Station Road, Rakaia River Road, Rakaia Barrhill Methven Road, Elizabeth Ave onto SH1. Southbound turn east at Windwhistle onto Leaches Road, Saunders Road, Sharland Road, Ardlui Road, Rakaia Terrace Road, North Rakaia Road onto SH1.
SH79 Fairlie between Gudex Rd and SH8 intersection (Fairlie-Geraldine Highway) – snow
SH8 Twizel to Fairlie (Burkes Pass) – snow
SH80 Aoraki Mount Cook Highway - snow
SH8 Tarras to Omarama (Lindis Pass) – snow closed overnight, 6 am update Wednesday, 13 July
Closures – West Coast
SH73 Jacksons to Kumara - fallen trees – detour via SH7 Jacksons to Moana to Stillwater
SH6 Ross to Fox Glacier – strong winds/power lines down
OPEN but care needed
SH7 Hanmer Turnoff to Springs Junction (Lewis Pass) - strong winds - slow down
SH7 Springs Junction to Reefton (Rahu Saddle) - strong winds - debris on the road
SH77 Mount Hutt to Ashburton - flooding
SH79 Geraldine to Fairlie - snow
Thick snow at Mt Cook
Sharlene McKinlay and her family live not far from the Aoraki/Mt Cook mountain face looking towards Mueller Hut with icicles dangling from their eaves.
"We can just see the vegetation over there so it's very much snowed in."
When word of the snow forecast reached them, they ducked down to the supermarket yesterday to ensure they were well stocked up.
The road to Mt Cook (SH80) is closed due to heavy snow.
McKinlay is a hobby photographer and has been out taking photos during the day.
"It's quite nice to share them with people around the country because it's quite a unique place to be."
Residents at Mt Cook village woke to a thick blanket of snow this morning with more falling throughout the day.
McKinlay says there's now about 30 centimetres of fresh snow.
It's her family's first winter living in the remote village.
She says her four-year-old is hoping to make snowmen later today if the conditions calm down.
McKinlay says there have been white out conditions, but the village looks magical when visibility improves.
Buller District unsure when power will be restored
The Buller District is without power after losing supply from the national grid.
Buller Electricity says it has lost bulk power supply, except for Karamea, which remains on generators.
It does not have a timeframe for power restoration at this stage. Stuff is reporting the area could be without power overnight.
Marlborough residents asked not to flush
Residents in Blenheim and Seddon are being asked not to flush their toilets today, as heavy rainfall has pushed the sewerage systems in the district to full capacity.
Marlborough District Council says the heavy rain that has forced the closure of several roads is also affecting sewer systems.
Picton, Renwick and Havelock's sewer systems are coping well - but those in Blenheim and Seddon are not.
All sports parks across Marlborough and the Seddon Transfer Station are also closed.
- ODT Online and RNZ
