Rivers rising as rain gauge blows its top

BARRY HARCOURT/142150

SPLASHING OUT: Persistent rain in the south during the past few days has flooded Invercargill roads, making for hazardous driving.

More than 60 millimetres of rain has fallen in Invercargill during the past four days, a significant amount in such a short period of time, according to the MetService.

Consultant meteorologist Ross Marsden said the service's Invercargill Airport gauge had recorded 62.8mm of rainfall from midnight Sunday to 3pm yesterday.

And many southern rivers were running at high levels according to Environment Southland statistics, with the highest being the Makarewa River at Tussock Creek, 3.9m above normal.

Mr Marsden said southerners were not out of the woods yet despite predictions rain would have cleared last night.

Further rain was forecast to spread from the west during the next few days through to Sunday accompanied by strong northwesterly winds from Saturday, he said.

Senior Sergeant Olaf Jensen, of Invercargill, said no incidents had been reported that were related to the weather but he advised drivers to be aware of road conditions.

"Know what the road conditions are and drive to them," Mr Jensen said.