Heavy wind, rain expected for parts of lower South island next week

Heavy rain, strong winds and gales have been forecast for parts of the lower South Island next week, MetService said.

Canterbury High Country, Fiordland, Southern Lakes, Southland, Clutha, Otago and Dunedin are all under a strong wind watch after MetService said, "Northwest winds may approach severe gale in exposed places".

Canterbury High Country is expected to see this weather warning from 7pm Monday until 6am Tuesday, with the Fiordland, Southern Lakes, Southland, Clutha, Otago and Dunedin regions under warnings for 8 hours, from 5pm Monday to 1am Tuesday.

Fiordland and the Westland Ranges, south of Otira, are under a heavy rain watch, with MetService saying both areas are expecting "periods of heavy rain, and amounts may approach warning criteria."

Fiordland can expect to see the rain first and are under watch from 5pm Monday to 5am Tuesday.

The Westland Ranges can expect the rain to start a bit later, with its watch lasting from 8pm Monday to 8am Tuesday.

For the rest of the country, MetService has said showers are expected to develop in the west, especially south of Auckland, and the rest of the country is expected to be "partly cloudy elsewhere with the chance of a shower."