San Francisco drivers were being told to avoid Lombard Street in the area of Gough Street due to a sinkhole that had formed amid Tuesday morning's rain, but this turned out to be a series of connected potholes.

The SF Fire Department initially reported Tuesday that a sinkhole had appeared and was estimated at around four feet by five feet. That report has since been updated to clarify that it was in fact a series of construction-related potholes at Lombard and Gough which had filled with rain and were creating a driving hazard.

"The potholes at Lombard and Gough streets appear to be related to construction that had been done on a backup water system," the department said in a statement. "After the work was complete, temporary paving was put in place in the area as the construction crew awaited a Caltrans permit to put in permanent paving. Some of the softer temporary paving appears to have eroded from traffic and the storm, creating some indentations that are about six inches deep."

The Public Utilities Commission had a crew on the scene working to mitigate the problem.

Lombard Street is a busy connector corridor on the 101 freeway route between Van Ness Avenue and the Golden Gate Bridge, and this sinkhole is just two blocks from the intersection with Van Ness.

San Francisco is expected to get significant rainfall Tuesday afternoon, with heavy downpours at times, and repairs to this sinkhole may not be quick.

Top image via SFFD