The Otago Regional Council reported that some South Otago roads were impassable and large areas of farmland had surface flooding.
The Clutha River at Balclutha has passed its second flood warning level of 1680 cumecs, reaching 1713 cumecs about 5pm. The graph can be seen here
A further flood warning kicks in at 1850 cumecs but the river is well below the emergency level of 2310 cumecs.
It is expected that low-lying areas close to the river up and downstream of Balclutha will flood, and add to the already high water levels in the lower Clutha delta.
Clutha tributaries the Waitahuna and Pomahaka have also risen high enough to trigger flood warnings, as has Taieri tributary Deep Stream.
Alerts have also been issued for the Taieri at Tiroiti, Lake Wakatipu at Willow place and the Manuherikia at Ophir.
State Highway 90 near Tapanui is closed because of flooding at the Pomahaka Bridge, and NZ Transport says there is widespread surface flooding in northwest Southland.
The southerly front that followed hot temperatures yesterday brought rains that also caused a slip that closed the Haast Pass this morning; however, the NZ Transport Agency says the road is now open. The slip was 1km southwest of Makarora.
Elsewhere, rain in the headwaters of the Queenstown Lakes District caused the Dart River to rise but it is now falling. Both Lake Wakatipu and Wanaka are rising, but are not expected to reach flood warning levels.
-ODT Online
