Severe gales powerful enough to damage trees and power lines are forecast to lash the east coast of the South Island and the lower part of the North Island today.
MetService warned drivers to be careful on the roads with gales reaching 140km/h in inland Canterbury, 130km/h in eastern Otago and 120km/h in Marlborough, Wellington and southern Wairarapa.
It said that drivers of high-sided vehicles and motorcyclists needed to be especially careful.
The high winds are forecast to ease in Otago by mid morning, Canterbury by mid afternoon, Marlborough by 6pm and the southern part of the North Island by 9pm.
The front is also expected to bring intense thundery rain to Westland this morning reaching Buller by this afternoon with 60mm to 90mm expected in the period from 9am to 1pm today.
The heavy rain is expected to swell the headwaters of Canterbury's lakes and rivers of south of the Waimakariri River.
The front should weaken as it moves to the Cook Strait area this evening but about eight hours of heavy rain bringing up 80mm rain is expected in the Tararua Range as it passes.
- NZPA
Severe gales to lash parts of NZ
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