A heavy rain watch has been issued for Otago tonight

The Otago Regional Council says up to 40-millimetres could soak Dunedin, along with Central and North Otago.

Council spokesperson Eve Bruhns says the watch is likely to impact the Manuherekia River.

She says the river - which runs from north to central Otago - could rise significantly and exceed flows reached over the weekend.

However, while rivers remain high across Otago, most have receded significantly and aren't expected to rise tonight.