Severe gales, heavy rain and possibly snow showers are on the way for parts of the South from tomorrow.
MetService said strong winds have been forecast for Otago, Southland and Fiordland on Friday and Saturday, and these were expected to move north, hitting the Canterbury High Country also on Saturday.
Gales were also likely for coastal parts of Canterbury, over Marlborough and the North Island's Wellington and Wairarapa on Saturday.
Meanwhile, a rain warning was in place for Fiordland north of Doubtful Sound, and Westland south of the Franz Josef Glacier and Buller on Saturday.
In the 24 hours from 9pm on Friday, 120mm to 160mm of rain was forecast, with the heaviest falls expected from about midday on Saturday.
It'll be cold, windy and rainy weekend also for Dunedin, Queenstown, Wanaka, Alexandra, Oamaru and Invercargill.
MetService warned that heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly. Surface flooding and slips were also possible and driving conditions may be hazardous.
During Sunday, cold westerlies could briefly bring snow showers to 500 metres in the lower South Island.
On Monday, a ridge of high pressure was expected to move onto the South Island, bringing more settled weather.
