Much of the South Island is under weather warnings ahead of Labour Day, with heavy rain and severe northwest gales set to batter parts of the country over the long weekend.
MetService said an active front was expected to sweep across the South Island on Monday and early Tuesday before moving over the North Island later that day.
"That's bringing some significantly heavy rain to most of the West Coast of the South Island," said MetService meteorologist Ethan Walton-Jones.
The front was expected to move quickly, Walton-Jones said, with the worst conditions easing by Tuesday morning.
Severe northwest gales were forecast to lash eastern and southern parts of the South Island, with gusts reaching up to 130km/h in exposed areas.
The strong winds would reach Wellington on Monday night, before the front weakened as it moved over the North Island on Tuesday.
Walton-Jones urged people in affected regions to prepare for potentially hazardous conditions, warning heavy rain could trigger surface flooding, slips and rapidly rising rivers.
"Always drive cautiously in those areas, and same with the wind as well, especially for high-sided vehicles or motorcycles," he cautioned.
Full list of weather watches and warnings
Heavy Rain Warning - Orange
Grey and Buller districts - 8hrs from 10pm Monday to 6am Tuesday
Westland District - 21hrs from 6am Monday to 3am Tuesday
The headwaters of the Canterbury lakes and rivers about and south of Arthur's Pass - 12hrs from 4pm Monday to 4am Tuesday
The headwaters of the Otago lakes and rivers - 9hrs from 2pm to 11pm Monday
Fiordland - 19hrs from 2am to 9pm Monday
Strong Wind Warning - Orange
Wellington - 16hrs from 6pm Monday to 10am Tuesday
Canterbury High Country and the Plains - 25hrs from 4am Monday to 5am Tuesday
Otago - 11hrs from 11am to 10pm Monday
Fiordland, Southland and Stewart Island - 12hrs from 8am to 8pm Monday
Heavy Rain Watch
Tararua Range - 9hrs from 2am to 11am Tuesday
The Queenstown Lakes District away from the headwaters, Southland and Stewart Island - 10hrs from 1pm to 11pm Monday
Strong Wind Watch
Tararua District - 15hrs from 11pm Monday to 2pm Tuesday
Marlborough - 14hrs from 5pm Monday to 7am Tuesday
Wairarapa - 15hrs from 9pm Monday to noon Tuesday
Christchurch - 8hrs from 8pm Monday to 4am Tuesday
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