Index: wflow-py/wflow/wf_netcdfio.py
===================================================================
diff -u -red5994ab4d8c0b03e42e898d7edd43f296a1280c -r90421118c769aecd8eb1046676dc2cfddd5117be
--- wflow-py/wflow/wf_netcdfio.py	(.../wf_netcdfio.py)	(revision ed5994ab4d8c0b03e42e898d7edd43f296a1280c)
+++ wflow-py/wflow/wf_netcdfio.py	(.../wf_netcdfio.py)	(revision 90421118c769aecd8eb1046676dc2cfddd5117be)
@@ -451,14 +451,22 @@
 
         # Now check Y values to see if we must flip the data
         try:
-            self.y = self.dataset.variables['lat'][:]
-        except:
             self.y = self.dataset.variables['y'][:]
+        except:
+            self.y = self.dataset.variables['lat'][:]
 
-        if self.y[0] > self.y[-1]:
-            self.flip = False
-        else:
-            self.flip = True
+        # test if 1D or 2D array
+        if len(self.y.shape) == 1:
+            if self.y[0] > self.y[-1]:
+                self.flip = False
+            else:
+                self.flip = True
+        else: # not sure if this works
+            self.y = self.y[:][0]
+            if self.y[0] > self.y[-1]:
+                self.flip = False
+            else:
+                self.flip = True
 
 
         for var in vars: