Like groundhog day, last weekend’s wet and windy weather looks like it will be repeated this weekend.
MetService meteorologist Devlin Lynden said Saturday was expected to start calm and clear across Otago and Southland as a moist northwest flow strengthens over the South Island, ahead of a front approaching from the Tasman Sea.
But as the day progressed, northwest winds would reach severe gale force in exposed parts of Fiordland, western Southland, Stewart Island, Queenstown Lakes, Central Otago and inland parts of North Otago, Dunedin and Clutha.
Meteorologist Michael Pawley told RNZ this morning most of the South Island had been upgraded to orange strong wind warnings with gusts of 120km/h expected in exposed places.
But a red wind warning - the highest - has been issued for severe northwest gales for parts of inland Canterbury, west of the foothills and west of State Highway 1, south of the Rakaia River, from 10pm today.
Pawley said severe gale northwesterlies were expected to reach 150km/h in exposed places.
"There is a threat to life from flying items and falling trees. We're expecting destructive winds to cause widespread damage, including to power lines and roofs, with dangerous driving conditions and significant disruption to transport and power supply."
People were urged to avoid travel, stay indoors, prepare for power and communication outages and not to light fires
Heavy rain warning
By late tonight and early tomorrow, the front was likely to stall in central parts of the South Island, bringing warning level amounts of rain in Fiordland and to the headwaters of the Canterbury and Otago lakes and rivers, Mr Lynden said.
"Particularly for the Otago region, about the headwaters, we're likely to see a good amount of rain."
He said streams and rivers may rise rapidly, there may be slips and driving conditions could be difficult.
Given the ground in Southland was still particularly wet from heavy rainfall earlier this week, Mr Lynden believed tomorrow’s rainfall may accumulate quicker and cause surface flooding, particularly around western Southland.
He said the cold airflow was also likely to bring some snow to the hills and mountains around Queenstown and Wānaka over the weekend.
"It's quite cold at the moment, so those freezing levels are nice and low, but this is a northwesterly, again, similar to the one last weekend, which obviously did bring quite a lot of rain for those areas, but followed by cold southwesterlies that allowed a bit of snow over the last couple of days to pick up.
"I don't think the townships of Wānaka and Queenstown will experience any snow, but the skifields may pick up 10cm or so. That's good news for them."
While the wind would get quite gusty around the southern regions throughout Sunday, he said it would not be as severe as the conditions experienced earlier this week.
"I think it'll be quite brief because this weather-bearing front moves up the country quite rapidly. By the end of Sunday, winds should be quite light again for the region."
He said another front from the Tasman Sea was expected to affect the south of the South Island later on Monday.
The New Zealand Transport Agency/Waka Kotahi this afternoon urged all road users to consider the warnings and advice from MetService.
"If you are travelling, plan ahead and be prepared, drive to the conditions and take extra care in strong winds and heavy rain."
Milford Road closing
Southland's Milford Road is currently closed due to heavy overnight rain increasing the avalanche hazard.
State Highway 94 was expected to reopen about 10am on Sunday after road inspections, Milford Road Alliance advised.
Rain is forecast into the coming week.
- Additional reporting ODT Online
