A rare red warning has been issued by Metservice for the Buller and Westland Districts, ahead of forecast torrential rain.
Metservice expects up to 400 millimetres of rain in the ranges, and up to 200 millimetres near the coast.
It's warning this may cause flooding and slips, which has the potential to make some roads impassable, and possibly isolate some communities.
West Coast Civil Defence chair and Westland Mayor Bruce Smith spoke to Kim Hill.
