Winds buffet South Island as storm tracks north

Christchurch has hit a record June high of nearly 25C as northwesterly winds buffet the South Island and lower North Island, with MetService warning of heavy rain and strong winds this afternoon and overnight.Gusts of more than 120km/h have been recorded in Canterbury today, MetService said.MetService updated its forecast this morning to pull back the times for when it expects the wind and rain to abate, with the South Island all clear by 1am Sunday and the lower North Island by 5am Sunday.Flooding forced the closure of State Highway 6 between Haast and Makarora earlier. This has since reopened, with NZTA advising drivers to be wary of remaining surface water.The highway was also closed between Rapahoe and Nine Mile in the Grey District due to a slip. This has since reopened, with NZTA advising drivers to expect delays as the road remained under stop/go control.All warnings are expected to lift by the early hours of Sunday, with the MetService forecasting only scattered rainfall for the Winter Solstice.A front preceded by a strong northwest flow is the culprit. MetService expects it to move over southern and central New Zealand today and into Sunday.Areas covered by an orange strong wind warning are:Canterbury High Country from 9am until 5pm SaturdayCanterbury Plains about and north of Rakaia, including Christchurch and Banks Peninsula from 1pm until 5pm SaturdayMarlborough south of the Clarence from 11am until 10pm SaturdayMarlborough north of the Clarence from 1pm until midnight SaturdayWellington and Wairarapa, south of Carterton, from 3pm Saturday until 3am SundayAreas covered by an orange heavy rain warning include:Coastal ranges of the districts of Buller and Grey from 11am Saturday until 1am SundayThe ranges of Westland from 9am until 7pm SaturdayHeadwaters of the Canterbury lakes and rivers south of the Hurunui River from 9am until 7pm SaturdayHeadwaters of the Otago lakes and rivers from 9am until 2pm SaturdayThe Tararua Range from 9pm Saturday until 7am SundayHeavy rain watches are in place for:Inland ranges of the Buller District and the Nelson Lakes from 11am Saturday until 1am SundayStrong wind watches are in place for:Wairarapa north of Carterton from 4pm Saturday until 5am Sunday