WINTRY WEATHER.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18421, 30 June 1925, Page 7

WINTRY WEATHER.

RAIN AND SNOW. The fact that the present season is mid-winter has been forced on the public; very-strongly during-the past few cays. Saturday saw the commencement of the wet spell, and it has kept up without intermission ever since. Saturday afternoon and evening were wet and dismal, with a co!d, biting wind. The rain ceased for a time on Sunday morning but the wind changed to the sou'-west and by mid-day a fine soaking rain was falling. It continued through the night and all day yesterday showers fell, making the streets and roads extremely greasy. Last evening saw the rain still falling with no piospect of a return to fine weather. Yesterday morning there were light falls of snow on the Port Hills but not of. sufficient heaviness to cause the snow to lie about.

The autumn sowings of wheat have been considerably affected by rain in the country districts. A lot of the land, it is stated, has been prepared for sowing, but operations have had to bo discontinued on account of the weather. " It is considered that this land will become so greatly affected that it will be necessary to work it all over again before sowing can take place. The consequence is that unless there is an early return to fine weather, not a great deal of wheat will be sown until the spring. The heavy rain of Sunday at Ashburton gave place to a light sleet in the early hours of yesterday morning, and this* was follow"ecT%y snow which fell for the greater part of the day. The depth of about 1* inches that lay on the ground in the evening was no criterion of what amount actually fell during the day, as it thawed very quickly, owing to there being frequent showers of rain. The steady fall broke about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, after which snow fell intermittently until evening. The streets were very slushy and the atmosphere was.cold. Seven degrees of frost were registered yesterday morning, together with 1.4 inches of rain for the 24 hours ending 9 am. Reports from the country districts were to the effect that the heaviest fall of snow was experienced at Alford Forest, where there was about 14 inches. In other districts around the foothills, the fall was lighter. At Methven, Mount Somers, and Springburn, -where the snow commenced on Sunday afternoon, there were about seven inches tapering down to two inches at the Ashbuvton Forks and Winehinore. The fall was lighter over towards the Eangitata river, there being about two inches at Euapuna, and not much more than one inch at Alayfield, Ealing, and Hinds. In the lastnamed districts the accompanying ram caused the snow to melt almost as iasfc as it fell. The snow fell for a short distance below Hinds, but none was seen in any of the..coastal districts.,. Very heavy rain was experienced at Longbeach and right along the coast to Seafield. A? slight fair of snow was also .experienced at Eakaia. Late last evening the sky was heavily clouded, while sleet was falling and the weather showed no signs.of clearing. Wintry weather is being.experienced in Rangiora, and the rain of the past two days has brought all outdoor work to a-standstill. The absence of wind during the month caused a shortage oi water to those depending on' windmills for a supply, and the slight wind which blow yesterday was much appreciated by a number of -.householders. _ The rain which commenced to fall in on Saturday afternoon continued ' throughout (Sunday,, and vesterdav morning the gauge registered 102 points. During, the night snow fell and snow mid sleet showers, accompanied bv a cold south-west wind, fell in quick'succession all-day yesterday. Owing to the wet state of the ground the snow, disappeared as quickly as it fell, but the slush-.and-mud made the roads very unpleasant for pedestrians. The weather ls-yery cold, the temperature not rising above' 3"deg. all day. The total rainfall .for. the-two # days. ;■ is 161 points, and rain is still falling. . After the mild, springlike conditions of last week the sky became overcast* at -Mount Somers on Saturday from the north-east, from which quarter a bitter wind had blown all the previous day. On Sunday morning, light rain fell, charging into snow about 3 p.m. Yesterday morning four inches of snow covered the ground, with every indicaition of more coming. The winter has again shown its teeth in the Springburn district, and yesterday morning people woke up to And the countryside covered with snow to a depth of about four inches. The storm had l>een threatening for some days. Saturday was a heavily overcast day. Sunday broke with a lowering sky, and early in the morning showers began to come down on the hillsides. Itain soon began to fall and continued until evening, when snow mingled with thovrain. Tho snow became general as the night fell, and at 10 a.m. yesterday was still falling with little sign of clearing. For the past two days the weather has been dreary at Leithfield, and during Sunday evening stormy conditions prevailed. Early in the day a iight, misty rain set in, and so6n developed into a drizzle, heavier rain falling towards night. The rainfall for the 24 hours ending at noon yesterday was .42 inches. Jtain was still falling and a high wind blowing.

The weather" last week at Kirwee was all that could be desired. A gentle north-west wind dried the ground and some drilling was done. There was a very hard frost on Saturday morning, but the sky became overcast early m the day, and rain began to fall. " Sunday was a bleak day. Rain fell most of the afternoon, the fall to 7 o'clock being 32 points, when snow commenced to fall. Rain and snow fell at intervals during the night and there were three inches of snow covering the ground yesterday morning. But for the wet State of'the ground and the occasional showers melting the snow as it fell, there would have been a much thicker covering. Another 20 points of rain were registered, making the total 52 points. At 11 a.m. it was still raining and snowing lightly. The District Traffic Manager was advised yesterday that it had been snowing lipavjly on the Midland railway lino during the week-end and had not yet ceased. At Arthur's Fass a fall of sixteen inches had been recorded; at Cass, Avoca and Staircase, eight inches, at Craigieburn twelve inches, and at iSprinsrfield four inches. Difficulty had been "experienced in keeping the line clear but there had been no suspension of services, althougn there had been several delays. . The weather was dull and threatenincr at Methven on Saturday, and rain commenced to fall on Sunday morning. This was followed by snow in the evening continuing throughout the night. There was a deptli of about five inches on the around vesterdav morning with snow still falling- The snow interfered to a certain extent with the telephone service and Methven was r- it off from Ashburton on Monday. The power from Lake Coleridge failed on Saturday at 3.30 p.m. and the trouble was not remedied until late on Siturdav's boisterous nor'-easter at Akaroa brought showery weather with jl before the day was out. The wind eered to the south-cast on Sunday.. ; and late in the afternoon heavy ram hSai to fall and continued without a bS until after davbreak, when it

(Continued at foot, of next column.)

oased off somewhat. Yesterday was- a dreary, wet winter's day, a thick drizzle falling almost continuously. IN SOUTH CANTERBURY. (SPEC.'iL TO "THE PRESS.") TIMARU," June 29. The cold and -wet weather which set in on Sunday continued all day to-day, with occasional showers of rain, and at times a few flakes of-snow. The* rainfall up to 5 p.m. was 42 points. A considerable amount of snow has fallen in the back country. The weather at Woodbury ]ast week was fine, some days being quite warm, but the week-end was bitterly cold and wintry. Rain commenced to' fall on Saturday night,, and continued intermittently throughout Sunday, the amount recorded by 9 a.m. yesterday being 66 points. A little snow fell on Sunday, but not sufficient to lie on the ground. Snow was _ falling yesterday morning, and conditions were very wintry. INTENSE FROSTS. SOUTHLAND'S EXPERIENCE. \<»TECIAI, TO "the press.") INVERCARGILL, June 29. Southland is at present suffering from the heaviest frosts that have been experienced in the province for very many years. Thirteen and fourteen degrees were registered to-day. and during the week-end, and the residents in Invercargill and in the country districts are feeling the intense cold keenly. All the asphalt roads in the [ city are being sanded in case of accident. The water supply in Invercargill is seridusly disorganised owing to the bursting of the mains, and as 1.600,000 gallons have- run to waste underground, the pumping plant cannot cops with the demand. Most of the suburbs have been practically without water since (Saturday night. The matter is temporarily a serious one, as nearly all suburban dwellings depend entirely upon the borough for water, and the sanitary systems are also affected. Many householders who have tank supplies find the pipes blocked and burst with the ice, and plumbers are busy. Engineers consider that the borough mains cannot be repaired until Wednesday, even providing that the thaw sets in from to-day. The weather is, however, very settled, and there is. every prospect of equally heavy frosts during the week. No r;>in has fallen for several days, and this evening the temperature is even lower than before. -