AUSHALIAN WINTER

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 267, 31 July 1918, Page 8

AUSHALIAN WINTER

COLDEST FOR TWENTY- YE A US. Auslrnlia, in common with New Zealnnil, is experiencing ono of the coldest winters of the past twenty years. In the country, particularly in New South Wnlos, the situation has been rendered more acute 'by drought conditions and hard frosts. A message to a Sydney paper firom Goiilbuvn says:— "A month or so ago things looked well in tloutburn, but a dry spell, with tierce westerly gales, dried up the ground, and farmers and orchardisU began to view I he" future with eoneeini. Last ivcck opened with tempestuous weather, but closed with rain and snow, a' timely fall oi' 5(1 points putting a heart into the agriculturist. Severe frosts followed, and with the exception of yesterday (July lit), which was foggy, every exposed piece t.f water was frozen to the depth oi, m many instances, an inch. Many waterpipes burst, and ice lay unmelted for two davs in shady corners. The grass temperature on Tuesday, 'Wednesday, _ ami Thursday was 17, IK, and 15, anu old residents state that a colder spell lias never been experienced. Mo'e nun is needed, bur. at present there is no cause for anxiety." , i ilarden (New South A\alos) also advised on July -0— "The weather for the past week has been the severest felt in this district tor Hie last twenlv years, the thermometer dropping as low as !M degrees, the lanibin» i'W€« have MitVwed to an extent, but fortunately the luxuriant growth in many of the paddocks has acted as a uefeneu to the .-old snap. The heavy frosts have been succeeded by luce, warm, suns un> days and the cereal crops have not been injured much, although in some places lliey are very backward.