Violent storm heading NZ's way

A storm which has uprooted hundreds of trees, hammered crops and dented car bonnets with three centimetre hail stones in Australia, is heading this way.

The fierce storm is also blowing desert winds into Queensland, pushing temperatures to 40 degrees.

Weatherwatch.co.nz says the massive low responsible for Australia's extreme weather is expected to deepen as it moves into the Tasman Sea.

Head weather analyst Philip Duncan says the storm is likely to have its biggest impact in New Zealand on Thursday, with rain warnings likely across a number of western regions, possibly as far north as the Central Plateau.

- NEWSTALK ZB