MetService is warning of extremely strong northwest winds over the weekend for almost all of the South Island and lower North Island.
Otago and Southland both have yellow strong wind watches in place from Saturday morning until about 1am Sunday.
There are also orange strong wind warnings in effect for Wellington, Wairarapa, the Canterbury High Country and Marlborough region excluding the Sounds from Saturday afternoon into Monday, MetService said.
MetService warns that strong wind gusts could damage trees, power lines and unsecured structures.
Driving may also be hazardous, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles.
Heavy rain warnings are also in place for most of the West Coast region, with alerts that rain may cause some streams and rivers to rise rapidly.
