The Canterbury region is under a rare red wind warning, while various orange warnings for gales and heavy rain have been issued for much of the rest of the South Island and some of the lower North Island.
On Saturday night, MetService said the red warning for Canterbury was expected to cover the period from 10pm Saturday until 3pm Sunday.
MetService said gusts of 150km/h were expected there in exposed places, and could pose a threat to life from flying items, falling trees, downed powerlines or damaged roofs.
Authorities have warned travel disruptions, closed roads and power cuts could be ahead, and to prepare by tieing down loose items, clearing drains before the storm arrives, charging devices, preparing for outages, and staying indoors.
A red strong wind warning was issued for Canterbury, while various other warnings covered much of the country. Photo: MetService
