The following roads are closed or impassable (please be aware there is no signage):

• Otautau Drummond Road at the Drummond end

• Lindsay Calcium Road

• Muirhead Road

• Lochiel Branxholme Road

• Riverton Otautau Road at the arboretum

• Brazier Road

• Winton Channel Road north of Anderson Road

WILD WEATHER WATCH

UPDATED: 1pm 23/10

MAIN OFFICE CLOSED

Southland District Council is closed to the public today. Wind has damaged the veranda at the street front of our main office in Forth Street, Invercargill. (Pictures attached) Please avoid the area. It is not safe.

EDENDALE WARNING

Access from SH1 Edendale roundabout to North Road is closed due to flying debris. The roof has come off a building at Fonterra's dairy factory. It is very dangerous. Avoid the area.

TREES DOWN

There are multiple trees down across the Southland District network. Contractors will get to them when it is safe to do so. There are reports of debris on roads and some roads signs will be down. If you have to drive in these atrocious conditions please be extremely careful.

POWER CUTS

https://powernet.co.nz/.../report-a-fault-or-power-problems/

CONSERVE WATER

As a result of power being lost across Southland District, our water treatment plants are currently offline. Please conserve water. Don't flush toilets if you can avoid it. Don't run a long hot bath. We will advise when there has been a change in the situation.

RED WIND WARNING

New red wind warnings issued for lower South Island

Coastal parts of Clutha and Southland, including Stewart Island, have just been upgraded to a red strong wind warning, MetService says. Damaging gusts of 150 kmh are forecast in exposed places through to 4pm today.

HIGHWAY CLOSURES

Highways South reports the following highway closures in Southland:

• SH1 East Road Invercargill between Mill Road North and Racecourse Road
• SH1 Gore-Mataura highway at Cardigan Bay Road
• SH93 between Kaiwera Road and Mataura due to fallen trees.
• SH96 between Mataura and Hedgehope

RUBBISH BIN COLLECTION

Don't put your bins out today.

To allow affected residents to dispose of domestic rubbish not collected today, we are allowing free drop-off at three of our waste transfer stations on today's cancelled pickup route (green lines as per the attached map). Please note that free drop-off is for a wheelie bin/boot-sized load only of domestic rubbish for those affected by cancellation of today’s run.

• Free dropoff Friday and Saturday at Winton transfer station

• Free dropoff Friday and Saturday at Wyndale transfer station

• Free dropoff Sunday only at Lumsden transfer station.

OFFICE CLOSURES:

Southland District Council's main office at 15 Forth Street is closed.

Southland District Council’s Riverton office is closed today.

SDC's Otautau office is closed.

SDC's Te Anau office is closed.

ROAD CLOSURES:

Mavora Lakes access road is closed due to bad weather and surface flooding.

PARK CLOSURES:

Dunsdale reserve is closed

FACILITIES CLOSED

Due to the Red Alert and weather conditions all transfer stations have been closed.

CANCELLATIONS:

Book bus won't be running today.

Winton Brick Club is cancelled

Te Anau programmes are cancelled

Keep an eye on Southland District Libraries page for updates: https://www.facebook.com/southlanddistrictlibraries