Rain and wind on the way for the south

Today is the first day of spring but the winter is to continue in the South Island at least, with heavy rain forecast.

The MetService today forecast heavy rain on the West Coast and warned campers and whitebaiters in Canterbury and Otago of quickly rising river levels.

Spokesman Bob McDavitt said 500mm of rain was expected to fall in the West Coast ranges this week.

"An active front with intense northwesterly winds is expected to linger over the South Island for several days.

" A good proportion of this rain may spill over onto the eastern flanks of the Southern Alps."

He said Canterbury, Otago and Southland were likely to get strong northwesterlies which may cause damage to trees, power lines and insecure structures.

- NZPA