Christchurch recorded its wettest April, with 80.2mm of rain in 24 hours, breaking records.
Residents of a newly built home in Lyttelton were forced to evacuate last night when the front of the property gave way under heavy rainfall.
The slip brought down a large section of the Cressy Terrace embankment, including concrete steps and pathways. It covered the road in front ofthe house, making it impassable for vehicles.
A slip on Cressy Terrace, Lyttelton - the result of record rainfall in Christchurch. Photo / George Heard
Cressy Terrace residents and those in surrounding streets are familiar with slips, with the steep hill that they live on being prone to them in the past.
Fire and Emergency NZ were called to the slip at 7.30 last night, in darkness.
As the new day dawned, the full extent of the slip was revealed. A recently constructed retaining wall was no match for the force of the slip. It fell just short of threatening the homes beneath it.
A slip on Cressy Terrace, Lyttelton - the result of record rainfall in Christchurch. Photo / George Heard
A Civil Defence helicopter flight took a geotechnical team up to assess the damage across the wider Canterbury region this morning.
Christchurch, Selwyn and Banks Peninsula remain in a state of emergency with widespread road closures – including SH75 to Akaroa. Banks Peninsula is currently isolated.
Schools throughout the region remain closed for a second day.
Civil Defence says contractors were to be out at first light to check on conditions throughout Canterbury. Civil Defence warns residents to be vigilant as the level of ground saturation is at a stage that “can cause trees to fall and landslides after the rain has stopped”.
A slip on Cressy Terrace, Lyttelton - the result of record rainfall in Christchurch. Photo / George Heard
Christchurch experienced one of its wettest days on record yesterday – but the storm meant a new record was set for monthly rainfall.
An aerial view of floodwaters across the Selwyn District. Photo / GCH Aviation
MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said Christchurch has had its wettest April on record.
The average for the month is 44mm but during the 24 hours from 9am on April 30 to May 1, the city recorded 80.2mm of rain.
“Sometimes numbers can be a bit meaningless, but when we see what it looks like on the ground and the actual impact, it is clear that it was quite a lot of rain,” said Makgabutlane.
Ashburton smashed the record for the wettest day on record. Yesterday, the area got 105mm of rain; the record was previously 93mm.
Conditions across Canterbury are easing today as the storm makes its way toward the east coast of the North Island.
