BREAK IN RUN OF FINE WEEKENDS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 143, 13 March 1939, Page 8

BREAK IN RUN OF FINE WEEKENDS

Weather In Wellington

IMPROVEMENT YESTERDAY FOLLOWING RAIN

In sharp contrast witli the weekends of the past six weeks, the weather in Wellington on Saturday and Sunday had a touch almost of winter about it. Though it was music to the ears of gardeners ami farmers, the rain on Saturday dashed the hopes ot cricket enthusiasts who bad lobked forward to seeing Sir Julien Cahn’s team in action against New Zealand, and made the day generally unpleasant for outdoor sport. The average sportsman was quite prepared to admit that some rain was needed after the severe drought, but would have much preferred to see it fall during the week rather than on Saturday. The weather improved considerably yesterday, but. the temperature was much lower than it has been recently. People were glad to be able to get out of doors, but had to admit that the beaches and other summer resorts had lost much of their fascination.

Because of the rain the Wellington Lawn Tennis Association’s interclub matches which were to have been played at Miramar on Saturday were postponed. Fresh and sometimes squally weather greeted the craft of the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club on the harbour in the afternoon. The absence of strong wind compensated somewhat for the general conditions when the Star Boating Club celebrated old members’ day by holding whaleboat races. The Y.M.C.A. swimming club held a harbour race from Pipiten Wharf to Oriental Bay. Several events at the meeting arranged by the Wellington Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, at Hataitai Park, had to be abandoned because of the weather. For baseball followers interest, centred on the Jenkins Shield competition. The programmes continued at several golf clubs during the day, and club rifle shooting off the 300 yards range took place in dull light at Trentham. The rain on Friday and Saturday relieved the pressure of the drought on Wellington’s water supply at AVainui and Orongorongo. Up till 9 a.m. on Saturday Gin. of rain had fallen at Wainui, and 3}in. on. the other side of the hill at Orongorongo. After that hour the rain graded off to a fine mist, with the result that only ,15in, was recorded in botli places for the twenty-four hours ended at 9 a.m. yesterday.

The rain a't Orongorongo on Friday was torrential in character, and from a mere driblet .the stream became a roaring torrent in a few hours. The only means the city has of catching some of this water is through an. intake ehatniber of concrete, which is assaulted by a rush of gravel and rocks whenever there is torrential rain. The disturbance of the stream, bed is such that the water becomes foul with sediment, which, if allowed into the main, ■which runs straight through to the Karori dams, would probably choke it, so the flow has to be valved off till such time as the water becomes reasonably clear once more. In this ease the water became clear enough to turn into the main early yesterday morning, and by last night the Karorl dams were practically full once more. Those at 'Wainui were also well on the .way to recovery.

Picture theatres and other places of amusement in the city were more than usually popular on Saturday afternoon, and carried their normal heavy crowds in tlie evening. Tlie sky cleared yesterday, and a fine, sunny afternoon saw many motorists on the roads.