Aoraki/Mt Cook Village on track for its wettest July in nearly 100 years – صحيفة الصوت

The 24-hour rainfall record in Aoraki/Mt Cook Village for July has been smashed and is also on track to break the monthly record that started in 1928.

National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research meteorologist Ben Noll said the village, so far in July 2022, has recorded 652.6mm of rain. The record for the wettest July was in 1998 when the village got 671mm of rain.

“We fully expect the record to be broken,” Noll said.

The record for the wettest July day is now 371mm, recorded in a 24-hour period between 9am on Monday to 9am on Tuesday.

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The previous July record was in 1998 when the village received 263.8mm of rain in a 24-hour period.

The 30-year July rainfall average for the village is 289mm and Noll said rainfall so far has exceeded the average.

“More than a month’s worth of rain in the last 24 hours,” he said.

The MetService recorded an “impressive” 405mm of rain in the Mt Cook Village from 7am Monday to 7am Tuesday while Timaru’s airport received just 6mm of rain in the same period.

MetService meteorologist Tui McInnes said it was a “very impressive amount of rain” for Mt Cook Village as their usual threshold for a rain warning is 100mm in 24 hours.

McInnes said the village had experienced its intense period of rain overnight and the rain is expected to ease off later on Tuesday.

He said rainfall in Timaru will be moderate and is set to ease off later on Tuesday as well.

Mt Dobson Ski Area remains closed on Tuesday due to blizzard conditions.

The ski area’s spokesperson James Lazor said they had received 20-25cm of snow, and it is still snowing on Tuesday morning.

Ikawai and Seadown areas remain without power according to Alpine Energy’s information page and the estimated time for restoration is 6pm on Tuesday.

State Highway 8 from Ōmārama to Tarras (Lindis Pass), SH83 between Ōmārama to Kurow and SH8 Ōmārama to Twizel remains closed on Tuesday morning due to slips and flooding.

Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency asks motorists to avoid the area or delay journeys if possible.

Environment Canterbury duty flood manager Chris Fauth said, in the Waitaki District, the Ahuriri River and Ōmārama Stream waterways had significant flow and people were evacuated from their homes last night.

“They have now peaked and have started to drop, but will stay at relatively high flow,” Fauth said.

“We ask people to continue to monitor their situation.”

Fauth said the Rangitata River is currently at a flow of 700 cumecs at the gorge, and it’s expected to rise to 1200-1500 and peak later today at the gorge.

He said there is a 10-hour delay from the gorge to the river and “we expect the river to be high all day and tomorrow.

“Landowners adjacent to the river need to monitor their situation and look for the possibility of out-of-river flooding.

“In the lower Waitaki River below the dam, we are now expecting spill flows from Waitaki dam. Water will spill over the dam in excess, at a flow of 1000 cumecs for at least the next two days.

“Landowners need to monitor their situation.”

Fauth said some other rivers may rise, but they don’t expect problems at this stage.