A series of severe weather warnings have been issued for parts of the lower South Island tomorrow with wind gusts of up to 140 km/h expected in some places.

MetService issued the warnings this afternoon, which included strong wind warnings for Fiordland, Southland, Clutha and the Southern Lakes, as well as a heavy rain warning for Fiordland.

Between 80 to 120mm of rain is expected to accumulate in Fiordland between 1pm and 8pm on Saturday, with peak intensities of 20 to 35mm per hour.

Meanwhile north to northwest gales are expected to become severe in exposed places between 7am and 6pm tomorrow, gusting to 120 km/h in Southland, Clutha and the Southern Lakes and possibly to 140 km/h in Fiordland.

Wind gusts could damage trees, powerlines and unsecured structures, adding driving may be hazardous, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles.

Heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly. Surface flooding and slips are also possible and driving conditions may be hazardous.