Southland Activated Flood Warning System as Rivers Continue Rising

A weekend of frequent rain has led to the rising of Southland's rivers on Monday, inciting warnings for drivers to take care on roads.

Northern Southland Rivers

Early in the morning, Environment Southland activated its flood warning system, as northern Southland rivers rose and breached flood banks in some regions. Waikaia School was closed during lunchtime, and the Southland District Council gave a warning that caution was encouraged while driving in the Ardlussa Community Board region as there was so much surface water lying all over the place.

Farmers in areas that were affected around Waikaia were relocating stock to high ground. An update at 3 pm from Environment Southland advised the Mataura River at Cattle Flat was about 1.39 metres above average and increasing 43 mm/hour, while further downstream at Pyramid it was about 1.36 metres above average and increasing 60 mm/hour.

The Waikaia River at Waikaia was about 2.01 metres above average and increasing 17 mm/hour, and was about 1.86 metres above average and increasing 92 mm/hour at Mahers Beach. The Oreti River at Lumsden Cableway was about 2.6 metres above average and increasing 13 mm/hour, and the Irthing Stream at Ellis Road was 2.11 metres above average and stable.

Pourakino River

The Pourakino River at Ermedale Road was about 2.97 metres above average and increasing 24 mm/hour, and the Waiau River Te Waewae Lagoon was about 1.64 metres above average and stable. A spokesperson who is a police officer said on Monday, on Mossburn Five Rivers Road there was some flooding, but holdup was still able to get through carefully.

Flooding also took place on the Tapanui-Waikoikoi Highway and signage was being placed in the area. They were urging people not to embark on any journey unless they needed to, she said. Further north, the Otago Regional Council publicized an alert as the Taieri River got to its first flood warning at Sutton.

Boil and Conserve Water Notice

Due to the flooding at 2.17pm, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency gave a caution as a result of the flooding on State Highway 97, close to the intersection of Lowther Road. Southland District Council has told drivers to be careful on the roads as the rain keeps falling throughout the district. It says specifically, roads close to Waikaia have some surface flooding, and it will keep monitoring the situation.

The Clutha District Council has issued a notice of a boil and conserve water for the Glenkenich rural water supply due to heavy rainfall during the weekend. The rural forecast of Metservice for Southland was for showers and southerlies reducing on Monday, and for mostly cloudy with showers becoming restricted to Stewart Island in the morning and fine spells developing away from the coast for Tuesday.

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