The South Island and lower North Island are being battered by damaging winds, lightning strikes and heavy rain, which is disrupting flights and Cook Strait ferry services.
MetService said a trough will bring severe gales to parts of southern and central New Zealand on Monday, with brief heavy rain for the west of the South Island.
The forecasting agency warns gales may be damaging in exposed parts of Southland, Otago and inland Canterbury.
MetService meteorologist Juliane Bertdolt told Newshub people should be prepared for damaging gusts.
"We do think that people should be aware that these winds can cause damages to trees, potentially power lines or things that aren't fixed down," Bertdolt said.
"So thinking of something like a trampoline could easily be picked up by one of those gusts and potentially could cause some damage."
Rubbish bins flying in Christchurch
Rubbish bins have been spotted flying down a street in Christchurch as the wind picks up again.
One central city resident, Daniel McDonald, was shocked to see bins flying past the window of his flat just after 9pm.
"It's really windy now," he told Newshub. "Everyone's bins are flying!"
Christchurch Botanic Gardens closed to the public
The Christchurch City Council has issued a warning this afternoon that the Botanic Gardens are closed to the public, as a precautionary measure due to the high winds experienced today.
"Make sure to exercise caution in and around Hagley Park and stay safe out there Ōtautahi," the council urged.
Campervan blown over in severe wind
A campervan has blown over in Canterbury following a severe gust of wind on Mount Cook Rd (SH80) just after 2pm this afternoon.
Police have blocked off both lanes of the highway and are advising drivers to be aware of the severe wind gusts in the area and to "avoid travelling until the weather improves".
"All occupants of the vehicle are reported to be uninjured," a police spokesperson said.
Considerations to close the road from Tekapo Village to the SH8 turn-off are currently underway.
Ferry service cancellations
The wild weather has seen Cook Strait ferry services cancelled on Monday afternoon.
The Interislander said sailings on the Kaiarahi ferry have been affected. The 1pm sailing from Wellington and the 6:30pm crossing from Picton have been cancelled. On Tuesday, the 2:30am freight sailing from Wellington and 7:30am sailing from Picton are also cancelled.
Sailings on the Aratere ferry are still running at this stage but Interislander warns "this is a changeable situation and delays or cancellations are likely".
So far, no Bluebridge ferry sailings have been cancelled but it warns if the large swells do eventuate, this could result in delays or cancellations.
"We are monitoring the situation closely and will update this service alert, and advise customers directly, if sailings are impacted during this time. Affected customers will be advised directly of changes to bookings," Bluebridge said.
The South Island has also seen more than 6500 lightning strikes between midnight and 7am on Monday, according to NIWA.
Flights cancelled, passengers screaming
The wild weather has seen 46 Air New Zealand flights cancelled on Monday so far, with a further five being diverted.
An Air New Zealand spokesperson told Newshub the cancellations were related to weather conditions across the country.
"Customers who have had their travel plans disrupted will be re-accommodated on the next available service," the spokesperson said.
"Air New Zealand would like to thank customers for their patience and understanding."
The wild weather has caused a nightmare experience for one Jetstar passenger on Monday morning.
Dylan, 18, was aboard a Jetstar flight from Auckland to Queenstown at 8:30am when the plane shook violently about 20 minutes from Queenstown Airport, resulting in passengers screaming in fear.
"Everyone on the plane was screaming. I was right next to the wing on the left side and the wing looked like it was going to break. It was shaking and it looked like it was about to snap off. Even the engines were shaking," Dylan told NZ Herald.
"The plane was going up and then dropping rapidly. I was airborne on my seat, it was just so wild."
But it's not all bad news for people in the South Island and lower North Island with a spell of good weather on the way.
"As we head into tomorrow, the front moves on to the North Island and eventually off the North Island and starts to weaken," Bertdolt said.
"We have a ridge building over the South Island from tomorrow afternoon so those winds are going to ease and we're actually looking forward to some more settled weather towards the end of this week."
Weather warnings and watches
The wild weather has seen MetService issue weather warnings and watches for the majority of the South Island and lower North Island.
MetService warns some places could see "damaging gusts" and heavy rain, which could cause flooding on Monday.
An orange heavy rain warning has been issued for Westland from 9am to 2pm on Monday, with MetService warning thunderstorms are possible.
"Heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly. Surface flooding and slips are also possible and driving conditions may be hazardous," MetService said.
An orange strong wind warning has also been issued for large parts of the South Island and also the lower North Island.
The forecasting agency has issued a wind warning for Marlborough, Wellington, Wairarapa and Tararua District from 9am to 8pm on Monday, with guts of up to 120km/h expected.
The Canterbury High Country and the ranges of Marlborough are also in the firing line, with a wind warning in place from 9am to 8pm on Monday.
MetService warns this area could see "damaging gusts" of up to 140km/h on Monday afternoon.
A wind warning is also in place for the Canterbury Plains, Banks Peninsula and coastal Marlborough south of Ward from 10am to 11pm on Tuesday, with "severe gales" gusting 120km/h expected.
Further south, Otago is also expected to be lashed by strong wind with a warning in place from 10am to 8pm on Monday with the area potentially seeing "severe" gales up to 130km/h.
The final wind warning is for Fiordland, Southland including Stewart Island and Clutha from 9am to 5pm on Monday, with MetService warning of "damaging gusts" of 130 km/h in exposed places.
The forecasting agency warns for all the areas under an orange strong wind warning that the gales could be damaging.
"Strong wind gusts could damage trees, powerlines and unsecured structures. Driving may be hazardous, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles," MetService said.
A heavy rain watch has also been issued for Buller and Canterbury lakes while a strong wind watch is in place for Hawke's Bay south of Hastings, with severe gales in exposed places.
Snow will also be a factor for some of New Zealand's most iconic roads, with MetService issuing a road snowfall warning.
The warning is in place for Desert Road (SH1), Lewis Pass (SH7), Porters Pass (SH73), Lindis Pass (SH8), Milford Road (SH94) and Crown Range Rd until Monday evening.
