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With the New Zealand city of Dunedin experiencing its wettest day in 100 years, Forsyth Barr Stadium has today stepped in as an emergency welfare centre.

Another evacuation centre was set up at the St Clair Golf Club.

With a state of emergency declared, Dunedin Venues advised that the Stadium “has been established as a welfare centre for anyone who has nowhere safe to go”.

Beyond this, Dunedin City Council set up sandbagging locations at Ice Stadium, Mosgiel Memorial Park, Middlemarch Showgrounds and East Otago Events Centre after residents in low-lying parts of the South Island city, including in South Dunedin, were worst hit by "significant surface flooding" overnight.

143mm of rain fell in Dunedin between 4pm on Wednesday to 8am Friday - more than twice the normal rainfall for October of 60mm.

Residents were urged to keep off the roads due to potential slips and surface flooding as another 40mm to 60mm of rain was expected to fall in Dunedin up until 11pm Friday.

MetService warned the heavy rain could cause threat to life from dangerous river conditions and significant flooding and slips, advising “conditions will disrupt travel, make some roads impassable, and isolate communities.”

Image: The social media announcement that Forsyth Barr Stadium has today stepped in as an emergency welfare centre.

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