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Sandbags are being handed out in Dunedin amid flood warnings as Aotearoa braces for a cold, wet blast.
Weather warnings and watches cover the lower half of Aotearoa for the next 24 hours, from Wellington to Bluff. Snow, heavy rain and plummeting temperatures are forecast for parts of the South Island, while Wellington is in for large swells and strong winds.
A Dunedin City Council spokesman said significant rain is predicted over a short period of time overnight.
“This will mean flooding in various locations around the city. Low-lying coastal roads are also at risk from associated wave action and especially on the 4.07am (Tuesday) high tide.
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Dunedin City Council chief executive Sandy Graham said it would be “a whole of city event” but some areas are higher risk.
The worst of the rain is expected to arrive with strong, almost gale force coastal winds. A severe rain warning is in place from 11pm Monday to Tuesday 11am.
MetService Meteorologist Jessie Owen said a cold weather began on the West Coast from Monday, delivering heavy rain.
“Thunderstorms are embedded within this front, contributing to the high rainfall rates and producing lots of lightning.”
A strong northwesterly flow would be followed by a strong, cold southerly change.
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MetService warnings and watches cover most of the country from Wellington south.
“A noticeable drop in temperatures will be felt across the South Island on Tuesday – and the North Island on Wednesday – following the southerly change,” Owen said.
“Overnight temperatures are set to plummet through the single digits; Alexandra, Wanaka, and Queenstown are forecast to drop to 3°C overnight Tuesday, Taumarunui can expect 3°C and Taupō 4°C overnight Wednesday.”
MetService issued severe weather warnings for heavy rain and severe gales from Monday through to early Wednesday. Waves of up to 5 metres are expected off the Wellington coast overnight on Tuesday, and up to 6m in Wairarapa.
KATHRYN GEORGE/Stuff
MetService is forecasting heavy rain for the West Coast, and possibly Otago and Southland on Monday, possibly heavy Tuesday in Otago and Canterbury.
Christchurch is forecast to have heavy rain on Tuesday, along with strong to gale southwesterlies. The city is expected to only reach the low teens on Tuesday afternoon.
There’s also a heavy rain warning for Southland and the Clutha area in the 12 hours from 8pm Monday.
Police advised people in Otago and Southern districts to avoid unnecessary travel and if possible stay indoors. Areas between Balcutha, and Waikouaiti were likely to experience the most rain.
Snow lowering to about 1000 metres is forecast for the Canterbury High Country on Tuesday, and in parts of Otago excluding Dunedin and Clutha.
Other places with heavy rain warnings at some point on Monday or into early Tuesday are Fiordland, Westland south of Otira, and the headwaters of the Canterbury lakes and rivers south of Arthur’s Pass.
Among areas covered by a less severe heavy rain watch are the Canterbury Plains and Banks Peninsula in the 24 hours from 9am Tuesday, and Otago, excluding Clutha and Dunedin on Tuesday morning.
In the South Island, severe gusts to 120kph in exposed places are forecast for Marlborough overnight Monday, the Canterbury High Country from 3pm Monday to 6am Tuesday, and Banks Peninsula from noon Tuesday to 9am Wednesday.
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