Weather warning: Winter to return with an icy blast later in week

It might be feeling more balmy and spring-like than usual but it's not quite time get out the summer clothes - things are about to get pretty chilly by the week's end.

As regions enjoy pleasant temperatures at least eight degrees higher than usual for this time of year, Weatherwatch.co.nz is warning there a low sitting in the southern Tasman Sea that is about to making things get decidedly icy for some places.

"The wintry change later this week and weekend won't be too brutal in historical terms - and many regions in the east and northeast of both islands may still have average temperatures and sunshine.

"But there will be a cooling down everywhere and for some places gales and squalls will combine to make it even more wintry," said the forecaster.

It would be followed by another surge of cold air early next week in the deep south, and this had the potential to slide up the eastern coastline of New Zealand.

Daytime highs were expected to drop by a few to several degrees in many regions.

Weatherwatch.co.nz said that while a '"wintry blast" was on its way, it might not produce a lot of colder than normal weather during the daytime.

Southern New Zealand was expected to feel the bite, with highs in Dunedin and parts of Southland this weekend and into next week down to single digits and snow flurries potentially falling near sea level in Southland.

The forecaster warned farmers that for newborn livestock this storm was definitely worth monitoring due to wind chill.

The cold snap was expected to be short-lived, with more mild winds set to return from Wednesday next week.