New Zealand

South Island flooding: How the weekend unfolded

15:10 pm on 23 July 2017

Heavy rain and high tides combined over the weekend to cause widespread flooding in Otago and Canterbury, with hundreds of homes evacuated and major highways cut off.

About 220 households were evacuated across the Otago region, including 100 homes in Outram, inland from Mosgiel. Photo: Otago Regional Council

Read Sunday's updates for Dunedin and Christchurch, and check a summary of essential information. To share pictures of the weather where you are, email to: iwitness@radionz.co.nz

  • States of emergency remain in place for the Otago region, including Dunedin and Waitaki, and for Christchurch and Selwyn.
  • About 130 properties around Dunedin remain evacuated, and some will not be able to return home for several days. The damage around the city has been described as "significant".
  • Emergency teams are monitoring floodwaters in Christchurch ahead of high tide about 4.15pm.
  • A large landslip has cut off residents on the Otago Peninsula north of Harwood.
  • A collision between a truck and a car on one of Dunedin's key highways, Portobello Road, temporarily closed that road again this morning. It has re-opened but for residents only, and is down to one land in some places.