Update: 5.45pm

SH1 is closed between Hampden and Palmerston and will not open until at least, tomorrow (Saturday.October 5).

Hampden Hall will be open for travellers but you are requested to find accommodation in Ōamaru if possible.

SH85 Palmerston to Kyeburn also remains closed at least until tomorrow.

Conserve water notices have been issued for the Awamoko and Windsor water supplies.

Waitaki District Council says with rain projected to ease over the next six hours Civil Defence has not be activated, but CDEM has been supporting Council, contractors, FENZ and NZ Police in its business-as-usual operations throughout the last 48 hours.

Metservice meteorologist John Law says the worst is over.

If residential properties are threatened, call 111. FENZ will assess the property and provide sandbags if necessary.

Remain alert. Do not enter floodwaters. Stay home.

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Update: 4.35pm

State of Emergency also declared for Clutha. Red Rain Warning for North Otago, Dunedin and coastal Clutha has been extended to rom 9pm, to 11pm tonight (Friday October 4).

Roads closed due to this weather include; Danseys Pass Road, Factory Road, Patterson Road, Simm Road, Cormacks-Kia Ora Road, Springhill Road, McArthur Road, Rocklands Road, Grange Hill Road, Fleming Road, Stromness Street, Runbrake Street, Aitchison Road, Tiverton Street, Goodwood Road, Horse Range Road, Island Cliff - Duntroon Road, Old Mill Road, Adam Sutherland Road, and Kieleys Road. Latest updates on road closures are available on the Waitaki District Council website here.

See the latest Otago Civil Defence and Emergency Management video update here.

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A State of Emergency has been declared for Dunedin City in response to heavy rainfall and flooding with another 70 to 100 millimetres of rainfall forecast for North Otago, Dunedin and coastal Clutha today (Friday October 4).

Overnight, evacuation centres were opened at the St Clair Golf Club (now full) and Forsyth Barr Stadium (open, entrance through gate J) in Dunedin, housing about 100 residents whose homes were being threatened by flooding and had nowhere else to go.

Roads are closed throughout Dunedin, North Otago and Clutha including State Highway 87 between Kyburn and Hyde along with Fleming, Patterson and Factory roads in and around Palmerston and Grange Hill Road near Dunback all closed due to flooding.

Danseys Pass Road is closed due to snow and ice.

Current local road conditions and road closures can be found on the Waitaki District Council's website.

People have been advised to;

• avoid any non-essential travel
• never try to walk, swim or drive through flood water
• put safety first and don't take any changes
• act quickly to self-evacuate if you see rising water
• be ready for power and communication outages
• if there is an immediate risk to life, call 111

Metservice has issued a red heavy rain warning until 9pm tonight.

If there is anything urgent, you can call Otago Civil Defence and Emergency Management on 03 477 4000.

If it is an emergency, call 111.

For those that do need to travel, such as to get to a safe location, it is important to take care and drive to the conditions.

Access Waka Kotahi's journey planner here.

Be alert to the conditions, check Otago Civil Defence and Emergency Management, MetService New Zealand and Waitaki District Council for updates.