Wind blows biker off road

Southern drivers are being urged to take care on the roads. File photo / APN

A motorcyclist has been blown off the road as strong winds hinder traffic in parts of the South Island this morning.

Police are asking riders in Central Otago attending the Brass Monkey Rally in Oturehua to delay their trips as strong gusts cause problems.

A police spokesman said a motorcyclist blown off the road at the rally this morning was lucky not to be injured.

"Police are advising motorists to take care ... [and] consider whether they can delay their journey until the wind dies down," the spokesman said.

MetService has issued a severe weather warning with winds up to 120km/h in Otago and Canterbury today.

It said the winds "have the potential to cause damage" and made driving "difficult, especially for motorcycles and high-sided vehicles such as trucks and campervans".

Up to 300mm could fall about the Westland ranges and up to 250mm in parts of Fiordland, Canterbury and Otago, MetService said.

"This is a significant amount of rain for these areas and will cause rivers and streams on both sides of the main divide to rise quickly, make conditions on the West Coast roads and in the mountains very hazardous and could also cause slips," MetService said.