Motorists are being urged to take care, as severe weather batters the country again today

Orange Heavy Rain Warnings have been issued for parts of Mount Taranaki, Tasman, Buller, Westland, Fiordland and Southland.

State Highway 6 remains closed from Franz Josef to Makarora.

NZTA is asking motorists to be alert to the possibility of slips, rockfalls and localised flooding, check speed and following distances, and use headlights where visibility is poor.

West Coast Civil Defence says the primary concern in Westland is for the heavy rain expected today.