Heavy rain warning issued
MOTORISTS were advised to drive to the conditions yesterday after several crashes on wet inland Otago roads and a heavy rain warning for Dunedin that applies until 11pm today.
The MetService rain warning also applies to North Otago and Clutha north of Balclutha until 11pm.
And a heavy rain watch also applies to Central Otago, the Southern Lakes and Southland, north of Riverton, until 9pm today.
MetService weather forecaster Aidan Pyselman urged motorists to drive to the conditions in OtagoSouthland given that heavy rain was expected to continue today and could, in some places, reach up to 140mm by 11pm, since the start of yesterday, and, further rain was also expected tomorrow.
Dunedin city had yesterday recorded 28mm of rain, by 6pm, and today would be ‘‘not a great day’’ in terms of rain, and ‘‘still more rain’’ would fall tomorrow.
Monday would be drier and warmer, with 19degC predicted for Dunedin, up from 13degC at 3pm yesterday and the weather would improve until Wednesday, he said.
A Dunedin City Council spokeswoman said that, with heavy rain in Dunedin yesterday, the DCC was working hard to keep drainage grates unblocked and was asking residents to help by clearing any debris blocking grates.
DCC chief executive officer Sandy Graham said the city’s mud tanks were working efficiently but some grates were becoming blocked by loose debris, especially cabbage tree leaves.
Contractors were working to clear grates throughout the city but if people noticed one was blocked near their home, please clear any debris on to the footpath where it would be picked up by contractors when the weather clears, she said.
Sandbagging stations had not been set up at this stage but the DCC was on call overnight, would be managing the situation and keeping an eye on the weather forecast, Ms Graham said.
The situation would be reassessed this morning, including the updated weather forecast, and residents would be informed via media and social media if sandbagging stations would be established today, she said.
As rain continued to fall in Dunedin and Otago yesterday afternoon, the city’s Tahuna Normal Intermediate School found itself targeted by an unusual act of vandalism.
Someone climbed on to the roof above the office area, between Thursday and yesterday afternoon, and removed several concrete tiles and threw them into the courtyard in front of the school, smashing them.
Given the wet weather, some water made its way into the school, but the office largely escaped damage, which seemed relatively minor overall, and firefighters yesterday replaced the damaged tiles with extra tiles kept at the school.
Tahuna school deputy headmaster Roddy Scoles noticed the school’s tile damage when he arrived at the school about 1.30pm yesterday.