Heavy rain hits region, roads closed

Heavy rain has fallen across the region overnight closing some local roads but all main highways are open.

Maitai Valley Rd is closed, with more than 250mm of rain falling during the past 24 hours. Cable Bay Rd, Avon Terrace and Dommet St in Nelson are all closed.

Manuka St ford is also closed, there is surface flooding around Quarantine Rd/SH6 and there is limited access to Riverside Pool. Rai Valley Area School has made the decision to close for Friday due to flooding.

Nelmac are onsite managing a blocked pipe at Waimea Rd. They have closed the inbound lane from Waimea Road though the Beatson Roundabout. The bus stops on this section of Waimea Road (between Beatson Rd & Main Road Stoke) are closed. Traffic traveling towards Nelson City is detoured around Annesbrook Dr & Whakatu Dr.

Golden Bay has had the worst of the rain with 419mm recorded at Canaan, which saw the the highest rainfall intensities of around 30mm/hr for several hours.

On top of what rainfall has already fallen,  another 50 to 90 mm up until 11am this morning. Higher intensities may be up to 20 mm/hr.

The Motueka and Riwaka Valleys have had substantially less rain (less than 100 mm), therefore river flows are predicted to be well below annual flood flows and peaking around mid-day today.

In the Richmond ranges south of Nelson, there has been around 153 mm up the Lee and Roding catchments. Another 60 to 100 mm is forecasted this morning with possible intensities up to 20 mm/hr.

Wairoa flows peaked early Friday morning, but with the forecasted rain still to come, there will be a similar second peak later this morning. Peak flow is less than an annual flood.

In the hills behind Nelson, there has been 230 mm up the Brook at Third House and 223 mm at the Maitai Dam. Expect another 60 mm this morning on top of what we have already had, with intensities at around 10-13mm/hr.

While the Maitai peaked early this morning at an annual flood flow, there will be a second peak associated with the additional rain around mid-morning again at approximately the same flow as before.

There has been some surface flooding overnight on State Highway 65 between Springs Junction and Murchison, but the route is open to traffic.