Little River, about 30 kilometres south of Christchurch, was cut off after State Highway 75 due to flooding. Photo: Supplied/Facebook
Seven homes have been yellow-stickered in Canterbury's Selwyn district, after heavy rain caused widespread flooding.
Selwyn mayor Sam Broughton said the homes were among 48 that had been assessed by the council, mostly in Doyleston, Leeston and Southbridge.
Broughton said the worst affected parts of the district were near Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere, around the Halswell River, Motukarara and Tai Tapu.
A state of emergency was declared in Selwyn, Christchurch and Banks Peninsula because of rain that pelted the region causing flooding and slips last week.
It comes as the South Island braces for a return of bad weather this week after heavy rain and strong winds lashed parts of the country last week.
MetService has issued severe weather warnings for much of the South Island with a heavy rain warning along the ranges of the Westland District from midnight Wednesday until 3am Friday.
An active front will be preceded by heavy rain and gale northwesterlies, and was expected to move northward over the South Island on Thursday and Friday.
Up to 250 millimetres of rain is predicted along the ranges with thunderstorms possible.
MetService said streams and rivers could rise rapidly and there might be surface flooding, slips and difficult driving conditions.
It advised residents to clear drains and gutters, avoid low-lying areas and drive cautiously.
Today’s weather is on the quieter side - but a change is on the way from late Wed to Fri
— MetService (@MetService) May 5, 2025
Wet weather is set to move onto the western South Island, with northerly winds picking up
Orange Heavy Rain Warnings and Strong Wind Watches are in place, with more areas likely to follow pic.twitter.com/UGBzWkGwKo
In Fiordland north of Doubtful Sound it was expected up to 180mm of rain would fall between 10pm Wednesday and 8pm Thursday, with up to 250mm of rain expected to fall in the ranges of the Westland District from midnight on Wednesday until 3am on Friday.
Thunderstorms were also possible.
In the Canterbury High Country, a strong wind watch was in place for 18 hours from 6am to midnight on Thursday.
"Northwest winds may approach severe gale in exposed places," MetService said.
There was a moderate chance the watch could be upgraded to a warning.
The wind watch was also in place in Fiordland, Southland and Stewart Island.
It comes after much of the country was impacted by severe wind or rain last week.
The strongest winds in a decade closed Wellington Airport for a day, disrupting at least 22,000 passengers and 200 flights.
Strong winds also impacted the Auckland Harbour Bridge while in Northland and the Far North residents also had to contend with heavy rain and flooding early last week.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
