Weary Canterbury residents struggling to cope with this morning's devastating earthquake will also have to cope with a storm, forecasters say.
The 7.1 magnitude quake has left many homes exposed to the elements, which are expected to take a turn for the worse with gales and heavy rain forecast for tomorrow afternoon.
WeatherWatch.co.nz said strong winds would increase during the day, with severe gales gusting to 130kmh possible later in the day.
MetService is also watching the storm, issuing a severe gale warning for the city predicting winds averaging 65kmh (gale force) with gusts to 130kmh.
"Winds of that speed can be damaging and with many buildings extensively damaged it could cause a major headache for emergency services," a spokesman said.
