An elderly man was found unconscious on a Heathcote Valley track after suffering dehydration this afternoon.

A police spokesman said walkers came across the man, aged in his 70s, on the Bridle Path about 5pm.

The walkers thought the man was sleeping, and left him alone when they first passed him, but were surprised to find him there on their way back and woke him up, he said.

He was apparently "not in great shape" and it was believed he had also had a fall, he said.

The walkers contacted police, and officers went up the track and helped bring the man down.

The man was "lucky" the walkers came across him, the police spokesman said.

An ambulance was on its way to assess the man.

MetService weather forecaster Philippa Murdoch said a northwest wind saw the temperature in Christchurch reach 26 degrees Celsius about midday.

Murdoch said the temperature then stayed around 25C to 26C for "most of the day".

"It should ease off this evening when it turns southerly a little later on."

- © Fairfax NZ News

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