Caution urged on city roads

Drivers are being warned to take great care on the roads this morning after heavy rain overnight has caused widespread surface flooding, particularly in low-lying eastern areas of the city.

Christchurch City Council contractors have been out overnight working to make roads safe but there is still a lot of surface water making driving conditions difficult.

Murray Sinclair, Civil Defence Manager, said Dallington was particularly bad, as was St Albans, where Dudley Creek had burst its banks. He said contractors had been putting sandbags on roads in Lyttelton to divert water away from properties but that around 10 properties in Lyttelton, Sumner and Akaroa had been self-evacuated after water inundation.

"Roads that were damaged after the earthquakes in the east are particularly vulnerable to surface flooding because the drains are not taking the water away as effectively as they used to, so we are asking drivers in those areas to take great care and drive slowly and to the conditions."

He said Civil Defence would be monitoring the situation this morning.