“Over the course of the three months Timaru saw 134 mm of rain, that is 88 per cent of average. “On the whole the season for South Canterbury ran a bit drier than normal.” Cope said Waimate received 206 mm of rain over the three-month period – 136 per cent of normal.
Bejon Haswell/Stuff
Waimate was deluged with rain on January 3, in a one-in-80 year event. (File photo) Around 70 mm of rain fell in a period of three days, including January 3 when the town flooded, he said. “Waimate usually gets 151 mm of rain in that three-month period.” In Mackenzie, 163 mm of rain was reported at Pukaki Airport, 102 mm in Lake Takapō/Tekapo and 152 mm in Fairlie in the three month period, he said.
The watch would be monitored throughout the day and if conditions became worse, a warning would be issued. Cope said there was currently a “moderate risk” of thunderstorms, making it fairly likely at least a couple of storms would develop. This could result in localised downpours of between 25 to 40mm per hour.
Latest MetService National Forecast Video
Latest MetService National Forecast Video Surface flooding and potential landslips on steep ground were possible, Cope said. Narrow streams and valleys were most at risk and Cope urged caution for people around those areas. He said people should watch the skies and keep an eye on the MetService website for the latests updates about the watch.