Much of the South Island and lower North Island is under heavy rain and strong wind warnings as a front sweeps up the country, with West Coast highways affected by slips and flooding.
MetService has issued a string of warnings covering western and alpine regions, including Fiordland, Westland, Buller and Grey, as well as parts of Canterbury, Otago and the lower North Island, with wild conditions expected to track north through the weekend.
Meteorologist Heather Keats said the change marked a shift to more severe conditions heading into the weekend.
“Today’s not too bad, but things are taking a shift. We have some more severe weather on the way… it is a very strong, a very moist north-west flow,” she said.
Western parts of the South Island are expected to bear the brunt of the rain, with heavy falls and strong winds in exposed areas likely to create dangerous driving conditions.
“There’s a lot of rain, embedded fronts. It’s going to move up the South Island… and then shimmy over parts of the North Island before petering out."
West Coast state highway disrupted
NZTA said State Highway 6 on the West Coast had been closed in two spots.
"State Highway 6/Coast Road, between Rapahoe and Nine Mile in the Grey District, has opened to a single lane under stop/go traffic management after a slip forced the full road closure earlier this morning," an NZTA spokesperson said.
Road users on this route were asked to travel with caution and to stop on request at the slip site.
State Highway 6 remained fully closed between Haast and Makarora due to flooding.
"People are asked to travel carefully across the wider West Coast of the South Island while MetService heavy rain warnings are in place, and the risks of slips and flooding is elevated."
Full list of weather warnings and watches
Heavy Rain Warning - Orange
The Tararua Range - 10 hours from 9pm Saturday to 7am Sunday
Coastal ranges of the districts of Buller and Grey - 14 hours from 11am Saturday to 1am Sunday
The ranges of Westland - 10 hours from 9am to 7pm Saturday
Headwaters of the Canterbury lakes and rivers south of the Hurunui River - 10 hours from 9am to 7pm Saturday
Headwaters of the Otago lakes and rivers - 5 hours from 9am to 2pm Saturday
Fiordland - 3 hours from 9am to 12pm Saturday
Strong Wind Warning - Orange
Wellington and Wairarapa about and south of Carterton - 12 hours from 3pm Saturday to 3am Sunday
Marlborough about south of Clarence - 11 hours from 11am to 10pm Saturday
Canterbury High Country - 8 hours from 9am to 5pm Saturday
Canterbury Plains about and north of Rakaia, including Christchurch and Banks Peninsula - 4 hours from 1pm to 5pm
Marlborough north of Clarence - 11 hours from 1pm Saturday to 12am Sunday
Heavy Rain Watch
Inland ranges of the Buller District and the Nelson Lakes - 14 hours from 11am Saturday to 1am Sunday
Strong Wind Watch
Wairarapa north of Carterton - 13 hours from 4pm Saturday to 5am Sunday
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