Australia

Temperatures are expected to soar in Australia's largest city with the thermometer expected to nudge 30 degrees.

The hot weather is also expected to be felt in parts of Queensland and the ACT with the mercury creeping up to the 30 degree mark as well.

Main centre highs

Sydney 30

Brisbane 29

Many Kiwis head across the Tasman sea each year to sample the 'lucky country'. Some are in search of a better lifestyle, whether it be work, family, warmer weather or a combination of all 3!

The diagram illustrates the different types of climate in the so-called ' lucky country '.

Satellite photos indicate an area of dust particles swept up in the storm measures up to 200km wide, a Bureau of Meteorology spokesman said.

Authorities have issued health warnings for residents.

Residents of the New South Wales south-western slopes and south-west Sydney have been warned to stay inside as much as possible.

Australia could be hit by a second dust storm, similar to that which turned the skies of Sydney and Brisbane red on Wednesday.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has warned that a front from South Australia could again cover the eastern states.

Bureau spokesman Sk Wong told news.com.au that flights have already been disrupted in the town of Broken Hill in outback New South Wales.

CANBERRA - The vast dust clouds driven by violent storms that turned the skies of New South Wales and Queensland red yesterday may be a harbinger of things to come.

Weather forecasters are predicting another storm front for tomorrow, and warn that an emerging El Nino and land dehydrated by a decade of drought could produce a series of storms ripping topsoil from Australia's fragile interior.

A dust storm has engulfed southern Queensland, causing traffic delays, raising health concerns and cancelling horse racing.

WeatherWatch.co.nz reader Neil, from Gympie, says the dust storm has just arrived.  "We can see a max of about 2 to 300 metres and of course the sun has completely gone".

"I can taste a gritty sensation in my throat and I can smell the dirt.  It has come up from Brisbane and is moving east and north".

An eerie scene from Sydney this morning. Image / Getty, NZHerald.co.nz

NZHerald.co.nz is reporting four Air New Zealand flights to Sydney were turned back this morning due to red dust storms blanketing the city.

One large low is creating two completely different weather extremes over Australia and the storm now has it's sights set on New Zealand.

Wild weather yesterday uprooted hundreds of trees and damaged property and crops across South Australia.  Hail was so heavy it dented car bonnets and roofs and damaged sunroofs says weatherzone.com.au.

South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania will need to batten down the hatches next week, as low pressure systems line up to batter the southeast.

It will begin on Monday, as a complex low pressure system sweeps into the Bight. Northerly winds will begin to strengthen over South Australia as a secondary low feeds south into a deeper system. The combination will drive increasingly strong winds ahead of it.

Cairns:         Partly Cloudy. 30

Brisbane:     Some rain at times. 29

Sydney:       Mainly sunny. 19

Canberra:   A few showers. 11

Melbourne: A shower or 16