Southland Flood Warning

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Flood warnings have been activated in Southland and caution is advised.

What you need to know:
- Invercargill has already surpassed its average September rainfall (83.6mm), with most of it falling overnight (26mm) of rain overnight – 7.8mm of which fell between 7am and 8am Thursday. The city had already received 100mm of rain this month.
- Rainfall in Western and Northern Southland had well surpassed the agency’s threshold for heavy rain, which is 6mm an hour with Riverton and Mossburn seeing 8 to 9mm between 7am and 8am.
- Environment Southland issued a flood warning for The Aparima River at Dunrobin, the Hamilton Burn at Waterloo Road and The Waiau River at Sunnyside.
- The Southland District Council was asking motorists to drive carefully and slowly amid extensive surface flooding.
- Overhead line damage caused power outages in Koreka Hill, Nightcaps, Wreys Bush, Sinclair Road, Te Anau Downs and Upukaroa.
- Milford Rd would be closed all day Thursday from East Gate (Hollyford) to Donne River (Westgate) because of the risk of an avalanche.
- Further north, Waka Kotahi closed State Highway 6 from Haast to Makarora because of a slip.
- In Eastern Southland, Gore received 28mm of rain overnight with 7.8mm between 7am and 8am.
- Thunderstorms around 3am Thursday morning brought 214 lightning strikes over Northern Southland. The rain had caused the Aparima River to jump 2.05 metres above normal and it was rising 377mm/hour.
- The Hamilton Burn was 1.87 metres above normal and rising 521 mm/hour, while the Waiau River was 3.22 metres above normal and rising 191 mm/hour.

Weather is set to settle down later in the day but for now, its best to exercise caution.

AN UPDATE FROM EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SOUTHLAND FOR FRIDAY, 22ND SEPT IS SHARED IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.