Power remains out in parts of Canterbury -- following the latest bout of severe wind

A Red Alert Wind Warning has now been lifted for Canterbury.

However, hundreds of homes are without power, some flights are affected, and State Highway 77 at Mt Hutt is closed due to fallen trees.

MetService Meteorologist Rob Kerr says Marlborough, Wellington, Wairarapa and Tararua are next in line for bad weather -- with winds likely to reach 130km per hour in the capital today.

He says there could be damage, and hazardous driving conditions.

Fire crews have also been kept busy with several blazes, including a forest fire near Dunedin.