The South Island is bracing for a return of bad weather this week after heavy rain and strong winds lashed parts of the country last week.
MetService has issued severe weather advisories for much of the South Island, with a heavy rain warning along the ranges of the Westland District from midnight Wednesday until 3am on Friday.
An active front will be preceded by heavy rain and gale northwesterlies, and is expected to move northward over the South Island on Thursday and Friday.
Up to 250mm of rain is predicted along the ranges, with thunderstorms possible.
MetService said streams and rivers could rise rapidly and there might be surface flooding, slips and difficult driving conditions.
In Fiordland north of Doubtful Sound it was expected up to 180mm of rain would fall between 10pm on Wednesday and 8pm on Thursday. Thunderstorms were also possible.
In the Canterbury High Country, a strong wind watch is in place for 18 hours from 6am to midnight on Thursday.
"Northwest winds may approach severe gale in exposed places," MetService said.
There was a moderate chance the watch could be upgraded to a warning.
Wind watches are also in place in Fiordland, Southland and Stewart Island.
It comes after much of the country was affected by severe wind or rain last week.
The strongest winds in a decade closed Wellington Airport for a day, disrupting at least 22,000 passengers and 200 flights.
Strong winds also affected the Auckland Harbour Bridge, while in Northland and the Far North residents also had to contend with heavy rain and flooding early last week.
A state of emergency was declared in Selwyn, Christchurch and Banks Peninsula because of rain that pelted the region, causing flooding and slips.
