A thunderstorm which saw Victoria residents sweat through their hottest night in four decades is on its way across the Tasman.
Temperatures reached a high of 28.4C, and flash floods, hail and high winds caused widespread damage to homes, vehicles and powerlines in the Australian state in the past 24 hours.
The storm is expected to reach New Zealand in the early hours of tomorrow morning, but Weather Watch forecaster Philip Duncan said the storm would weaken significantly en-route.
"We're not expecting thunderstorms here, but the weather will be messy this weekend.''
A high over New Zealand would see cloudy periods and patchy showers on Saturday, especially in central New Zealand, he said.
