KEY POINTS:
Parts of the country could be in for the worst battering of spring so far, with severe and damaging gales forecast for tomorrow.
The MetService has issued a severe weather warning as a low deepens in the Tasman Sea and moves on to the South Island.
The weather system will bring a short and intense period of rain along the west coast from northwest Nelson to Fiordland tomorrow morning. Trampers are warned to watch for rapidly rising rivers.
Meanwhile, severe northwest gales are expected to rapidly develop from Hawkes Bay to inland Canterbury in the early hours, reaching up to 130kmh.
Later in the morning severe west to southwest gales are expected to batter many parts of Southland and eastern Otago, gusting up to 140kmh.
"It may well be that these gales will be the strongest of a series of gales which have affected New Zealand over recent weeks," forecasters said.
The winds are likely to cause damage to trees and power lines, and make driving hazardous.
The worst affected area will be from Invercargill to Dunedin, where the wind may be strong enough to damage buildings, they warned.
The gales in all areas should slowly ease during the afternoon.
- NZPA
