The storm moved on to North Canterbury this afternoon, bringing heavy falls to the Kaikoura Ranges.
Fire fighters were called out more than 80 times this morning as heavy rain and high winds pelted the West Coast and Blenheim, with multiple reports of surface flooding briefly closing State Highway 1 between Blenheim and Kaikoura at 1.30pm this afternoon.
Metservice forecaster Paul Mallinson said Otago's east coast could expect between up to 55mm of rain in the 24-hour period from late tonight to late tomorrow night.
The rain would be accompanied by some moderate southeasterly winds and snowfalls of up to 30cm above 900m in the North Otago high country.
Exposed areas on the east coast were likely to suffer the most, with Central Otago only expected to get a few showers.
The Metservice was keeping a watch on the area, that would be ungraded to a warning if the weather was to be any worse than presently predicted.
"You guys are not expecting the same battering as they have gotten in the north because the rainband easing as it travels south."
The rain was expected to ease to showers which wwould remain about the area until Monday, Mr Mallinson said.
