KEY POINTS:
Wind gusts and heavy rain are set to batter the country just as spring arrives.
Metservice has issued severe weather warnings to parts of the West Coast that could receive up to 200ml of rain in 24 hours.
Forecaster Mark Pascoe said eastern areas from the Wairarapa, including Wellington, to Southland could get wind gusts of up to 120km an hour, especially in southern areas.
Eastern areas of the South Island are also in for a drenching with areas of Otago set to get 130ml of rain and Canterbury 140ml.
- NZHERALD STAFF
