Central Otago and parts of the lower South Island are under a weather watch this weekend, with MetService warning further heavy rain and strong winds could bring more disruptive conditions.

A heavy rain watch has been issued for Central Otago south of Alexandra, Dunedin, Clutha, and mainland Southland for 30 hours from 9am Saturday (January 24).

MetService said there is a moderate chance the watch could be upgraded to a warning if conditions worsen.

Further south, southwest winds may approach severe gale strength for coastal Otago, Southland and Stewart Island from Saturday night.

Winds are expected to ease by 6am Sunday.

The South Island outlook comes as communities elsewhere in the country continue to deal with the effects of earlier storms, with more unsettled weather forecast nationwide.

In the upper North Island, strong wind watches are in place from midday Saturday for Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, parts of Waikato, Gisborne and Bay of Plenty.

MetService has warned gales in storm-affected areas could topple trees in already saturated ground.

Civil Defence agencies continue to urge caution in regions affected by the severe weather.

Meanwhile, a scientist told national broadcaster RNZ the country could be heading for wetter summers.

Climate change could “potentially enhance summer rainfall extremes”, Chris Brandolino, the principal scientist at Earth Sciences New Zealand (formerly NIWA), told Summer Report on Friday.

Discussing the drivers behind this week’s flooding in the northern North Island, Chris said warming seas were intensifying the influence of climate patterns such as El Niño and La Niña - the latter currently affecting New Zealand.

“Put simply, there is more water vapour in the air that is the fuel for heavy rain,” he said.

It was making storms more likely, more frequent and more intense, he said.

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