Canterbury managed to dodge the kind of weather that has hit parts of the North Island - or did it? Lincoln, just south of Christchurch, was whacked with an unusually heavy downpour last week. Susan Sandys reports.
Parts of Lincoln were brought to a standstill as a localised thunderstorm brought almost two weeks of rain in 20 minutes.
Staff and customers at Rosemerryn shopping centre were stranded in the torrential downpour as the centre’s street frontage turned into a lake on Friday about 4pm.
Firefighters were called to deal with flooding in the streets nearby.
Children swam in and cycled through the newly-created lake, while Lincoln Headquarters patrons joked the premises was now a waterfront bar.
HQ part-owner Chrystal Boyne said the bar’s courtesy van fell victim to the flood, as water flowed into the engine bringing the van to a standstill as it entered the bar driveway on its return from dropping patrons home.
“It was a lot of rain, you couldn’t even see in front of you when you were out there,” Boyne said. The lack of visibility forced motorists outside to pull over.
“It was bizarre, just how short and sharp it was, and then it was gone.”
About five patrons stranded as they waited for the floodwaters to subside at outdoor tables watching children swim and cycle in the almost knee-deep water.
Neighbouring Lincoln Pantry staff also watched the storm unfold.
Owner-operator Phillippa Boa said one of her staff members’ cars had water flow through it as it was parked on Eastfield Drive. It can’t be driven for two weeks pending a mechanical assessment.
There was also loud thunder and wind during the “spectacular” storm.
The MetService measured 17mm of rain at Lincoln, while residents in various areas of the town reported receiving more than 20mm in their rain gauges.
Residents at Rolleston also reported heavy rain, while those at Prebbleton and Leeston reported very little. Halswell remained dry.
MetService meteorologist Peter Little said 17mm was a lot of rain, considering in one month Lincoln could expect about 45mm.
The thunderstorm had formed in the foothills then drifted south eastwards across the northern part of Lake Ellesmere then to southern parts of Banks Peninsula and out to sea.
“As that thunderstorm tracked across it was very intense rainfall, it was a very short and sharp burst which is very typical for thunderstorms,” Little said.
This summer had so far had more thunderstorms than average, as northerly winds blew across the country under cold air, leading to unstable atmospheric conditions.
