Heavy rain over the past week has pushed Lake Wānaka to its highest level since November last year.

As of today (Wednesday October 22), the lake sits at 278.632 metres above sea level (masl) - 0.554 metres below the first flood alert level of 279.2 masl.

MetService has issued another heavy rain warning for the lake’s headwaters, in effect from midnight tonight until 2pm Thursday (October 23).

Read more: Heavy rain warning for lake headwaters - strong winds

In the past 24 hours, 57mm of rain has fallen in Wānaka, according to the Allied Concrete weather station on Ballantyne Road, with even heavier rain recorded in the headwaters.

The level of Lake Wānaka for the past 12 months. The lake reached a high of 279.202 metres on November 10, 2024. IMAGE: Otago Regional Council

Since August 28, Lake Wānaka has risen more than two metres.

The Queenstown Lakes District Council said Lake Wānaka is forecast to peak at 279.5masl in the early hours of Friday (October 24) morning and is expected to cause flooding around the foreshore but it is not expected to flow across Ardmore Street. Businesses should remain alert but no significant impacts are expected at this stage.

Lake levels above 278.111 masl are considered high. The first flood warning is triggered at 279.2 masl, the second at 279.4 masl, and the third at 280.0 masl, when water begins to go over Ardmore St, threatening Wānaka’s CBD, and flooding of lower lying areas may occur through stormwater systems.

The last time the lake flooded Wānaka township was in December 2019, when it peaked at 280.381 masl. 

Water crossed Ardmore Street, and sandbags lined the CBD as floodwaters lapped at the base of buildings.

PHOTO: Wānaka App