Strong winds are battering much of the country - and hectic weather's also ahead later in the week

MetService has issued heavy orange rain warnings for Westland, Canterbury, Otago and Fiordland.

Orange wind warnings apply for Hawke's Bay, Canterbury, Otago and Southland - with more to come this afternoon and evening.

Meteorologist Michael Pawley says northwesterly gusts will rise to 130 kilometres an hour in exposed places.

Emergency crews have attended at least 10 callouts and about a thousand customers are without power in Dunedin and Mosgiel.

The Transport Agency says it will take several more hours to safely recover a rolled truck blocking State Highway 8, just south of Tekapo.