HEAVY GALE ON THE COAST.

Dominion, 24 February 1913, Page 6

HEAVY GALE ON THE COAST.

■' '—*-■ -f .SOME BELATED-STEAMERS. , (By, Telegraph.—Pross Aesoclatlon.l . ' ..'-.: Christchurch, February 23. ' Weather conditions nave been extremely wintry since Thursday night. A "sou'wester" has been blowing for the past three days, and there has been an unusually heavy rainfall—an almost continuous downpour—throughout Thursday night and all day .on Friday. On Friday uiglit the wind freshened to a strong gale, but it moderated yesterday morning, although rain fell more or less continuously The gale was' general all along the coast and steamers arriving at Lyttelton on Saturday reported having had a fairly rough time with thick weather and heavy rain nt sea. ,Thc ferry steamer Maori was over an hour late in arriving nt Lyttelton, the delay being due to strong head winds and heavy seas. The big steamer Tyrone, which left Wellington at noon on Friday wa9 over 20 houre on the passage to Lyttelton, and the tramp steamer Cape Finistorre, which sailed from Wellington at-..4.19. p.m.,'did not arrive until close on 2 p.ml The Hud-dart-Parker steamer Victoria also had a long and dirty passage from Wellington to Lyttelton. "'. The weather cleared yesterday aftelnoon, but to-day rain has been almost continuous and tho weather is cold. Wellington weather'has been exceedingly fickle for the past day or two. After a week -of rather close weather, rain fell with tropical density on Friday ovening. Saturday morning was dull and threatening, but after a struggle tjhe sun gained the mastery in the afternoon, clear skies and a cool'southerly breeze prevailing. The sky bec.ime overcast during the night, and throughout yesterday the weather generally 'was cool; dull, and threatening. Rain fell again last evening. After tho rather long dry spell the downfall was not at all unwelcome.