Metservice has now issued a Red Heavy Rain Warning for Coastal Otago and Clutha.
Metservice is advising Otago residents living in low lying coastal areas in Dunedin and Clutha to expect between 80 to 120 mm of rain from noon today until 9am Monday 6 July. Other nearby areas could be impacted too, and snow may complicate the situation.
05 July 2026
Metservice has now issued a Red Heavy Rain Warning for Coastal Otago and Clutha. It also has an Orange Heavy Rain Warning for coastal North Otago and an Orange Heavy Snow Warning for the rest of Otago.
The heaviest rainfalls are likely from late Sunday afternoon until early Monday morning when intensities of 10 to 15 mm per hour are possible.
This forecast represents a significant amount of rain for Dunedin and the Taieri Plains, around Milton and the Clutha Delta. These conditions could cause flooding in low lying areas, disrupt travel, cause rivers to rise and possible slips. Some roads could become impassable. Flood waters are dangerous.
Dunedin City Emergency Operations Centre has been activated. Otago Regional Council is closely monitoring the rivers.
Listen to your local radio station and check Emergency Management Otago, Facebook pages and websites for any local updates.
Act quickly to self-evacuate if you see rising water and are concerned. Floodwaters are dangerous. Do not enter floodwaters and avoid travel if possible.
Check on your neighbours, especially if they are elderly or have mobility issues. Be ready for power and communications outages.
Keep up to date with all weather forecasts https://www.metservice.com/warnings/home#lower-south
Keep up to date with all State Highway conditions https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/highway-conditions/otago
