Several roads in the district will be closed tonight (Monday 18 July) as contractors clear trees that have fallen in the high winds and blocked lanes.

Roads closed now but expected to be open by tomorrow morning are: Bridge Street, Glassworks Road, Company Road, Keenans Road, Christys Road, Cochranes Road.

The three sunshine bridges over the Hinds River remain closed.

For more detail, see our live road closures map.

Ashburton Civil Defence is closely monitoring rainfall in the alps and river levels also associated with this Orange weather event, and is ready to activate its Emergency Operations Centre if needed.

The Ashburton River (north and south branches), the Hinds River, and Bowyers and Taylors Stream are expected to peak in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Areas affected in the May 2021 flood event are being most closely monitored, as new flood protection works are still vulnerable.

MetService is forecasting a southerly front to follow, with wind and more rain on Wednesday and Thursday.
At a Civil Defence update this afternoon, FENZ reported crews had been dealing with downed trees and power lines across the Ashburton district, and securing roofs.

Council asks residents to monitor their own situations and be prepared to act, if needed. Stay informed via Council’s website and social media channels.

Issues should be reported to Council on 307-7700 – people can ring this number any time of the day or night.

People can also sign up to a free text alert messaging system by texting their post code to 4196.