A family home in Ramarama, south of Auckland lost its roof to a tornado today.

A wall of thunderstorms the length of New Zealand is about to hit, bringing heavy rain, thunderstorms, strong winds and even snow.

October is set to live up to its billing as the stormiest month of the year with predictions of violent and windy weather.

NSW residents are warned to stay inside as a second dust storm 200km wide hits Sydney.

The clocks are about to go forward but weather extremes have brought torrential rain around Auckland and snow in the lower North Island.

Fog causes chaos to around 60 Auckland flights. Peak-hour traffic was also severely affected.

Last month was the warmest August New Zealand has seen since temperatures were first recorded 155 years ago.

A forecaster has predicted an ugly year's weather ahead.

Australia is in the throes of probably its warmest winter ever, with records smashed up and down the country.

Heavy rain is expected to batter the North Island for most of the weekend, and forecasters are warning of possible flooding.

Thunderstorms - and possibly tornadoes - predicted between September and November.