The warnings and watches in place this morning. Photo: MetService screenshot
Another bout of severe weather for the South Island won't affect the same areas that were battered by last week's record rainfall, MetService says.
Just a week after severe weather caused flooding in Canterbury and downed trees and powerlines in Wellington, another band of heavy rain and strong winds is expected to hit the South Island from Wednesday night, prompting MetService to issue new weather warnings and watches.
A band of heavy rain is moving toward the South Island, prompting MetService's decision.
These include an orange heavy rain warning for the ranges of Westland District with up to 250 millimetres of rain possible, starting around midnight and lasting until 3am on Friday.
There's a similar warning in place for Fiordland north of Doubtful Sound, from 10pm today with up to 180mm forecast.
Strong wind watches have been issued for the Canterbury High Country, Queenstown Lakes District, Central Otago, Clutha west of Tapanui and Fiordland, Southland and Stewart Island.
MetService meteorologist John Law MetService meteorologist John Law said there would be strong norwesters ahead of the rain.
The areas in Cantebury which were hard hit during last week's storm would not be affected this time around.
"So it's a slightly different direction, slightly different area to the weather we saw last week, but the impacts are still going to be pretty impressive, particularly places on the western coast where we're going to find some heavy rainfall."
Exposed areas in Fiordland, Westland and Canterbury would bear the brunt of the strong winds, perhaps reaching gale force.
It would also be windy in Wellington and while the ocean swells would not be as heavy as last week, ferry sailings on Thursday and Friday might be disrupted, Law said.
Thunderstorms might be in the mix in the North Island too.
Temperatures would be warmer than usual too, however, by the weekend it would be cooler again around most of the country.
"So up and down this week."
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