Gales, snow, hail and squally showers are in the forecast for NZ this week as gale westerlies from Australia move our way along with an associated cold front.

The cold front will go nationwide on Wednesday – reaching the Far North by lunchtime. It fades out fast on Thursday and Friday though with showers mostly stuck in the eastern North Island and frosty weather returning over the South Island and part of the western North Island.

We have the NZ and Australia forecast through to Saturday….

**Programming Note: Our monthly ClimateWatch update is out this week – published on Wednesday afternoon NZST (August 2).