Sandbags on standby as flooding threatens Queenstown

Queenstown residents are waiting with sandbags as more rain is forecast overnight.

Queenstown civil defence controller Phil Dunstan said today Lake Wakatipu was near bursting and would flood into Beach St tomorrow if heavy rain arrived overnight.

"We could close half of the street tomorrow if the rain comes. It will be touch and go," he told NZPA.

Queenstown has 18,000 sandbags on standby just in case Lake Wakatipu floods.

"I don't think we'll get much water in the street, if the rain arrives. We have sandbags and 'troops' ready."

The MetService predicts 150mm of rain in the area to noon tomorrow.

The worst single flood in Queenstown for 121 years hit the resort town hard two years ago.

The lake overflowed, flooding a third of the central business district. The water was waist deep in Beach and Rees streets with all shops, bars, restaurants and two hotels flooded and closed.

Meanwhile businesses in Hastings and Napier were today mopping up after a month's rain fell on Sunday flooding the two city centres.

- NZPA