A cold spring southerly is about to hit the country but before it arrives some areas will be pushed into the low 20s temperaturewise with sunny conditions.

The warmer than average surge across many regions today and tomorrow will be replaced by a colder than normal southerly, starting Wednesday and Thursday in Southland, Otago, and Fiordland then spreading nationwide on Friday and Saturday.

Heavy rain is expected on the West Coast and biting wind chills for new-born stock in some places mid to late this week around Southland and Otago. A massive high is coming in this weekend and will linger in the Tasman Sea all of next week. Overseas, Hurricane Michael has formed and is currently hitting Cuba.

Michael is expected to strengthen in to a “severe†Category 3 hurricane and landfall looks likely in Florida around Friday New Zealand Time.