People are being urged to avoid non-essential travel as water in the Grey district backcountry moves towards the coast.

The Ahaura and Waipuna catchments saw heavy rain into this morning.

By 11.30am the Ahaura River had started to plateau, and the Waipuna was falling.

The Grey Emergency Operations Centre was activated at 11am.

If you are in a flood-prone area and feel uncertain, you may need to self-evacuate.

Atarau Road was being watched closely this morning but rivers were starting to fall.

Awahono School at Ahaura sent children home.

The Iveagh Bay underpass flooded so the bypass route over the railway was opened.

There was surface flooding Stillwater to Moana.

West Coast Emergency Management group manager Claire Brown said as a precaution, schools were being contacted as water levels rose at Coal Creek and Kaiata, ahead of the school bus runs.

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