A CHILLY STORM

Evening Post, Issue 28, 1 August 1936, Page 11

A CHILLY STORM

WIND, HAIL, & SNOW

LOW. TEMPERATURE

Unpleasant though the weather has been in Wellington practically throughout the past fortnight, the culminating point, or perhaps it should be said what is hoped will be the culminating point, was reached last night and in the early hours of this morning. Then and since, Wellington has been served with weather "right off the ice," so to speak. Rain and hail, driven by strong ■ gusts of wind from the south, rattled on roofs and window panes at intervals throughout the night, and some snow also fell. There has been more hail than snow, but in some parts of the suburbs there were quite appreciable falls of snow, and although the sun tried to peep through the grey sky at intervals, the weather continued unpleasant this morning. More rain and hail fell, and a little more snow was reported, some falling in the city itself. The hail and sleet were plentiful enough to form, alongside buildings in the city and in water channels,.drifts that remained uhthawed for hours. Hills surrounding 'Wellington retained a white coating. ■ , COLD, STORMY NIGHT. Any who have clung to the idea that the passing of the shortest day justifies hopes of brighter and better weather must, so far as the winter is concerned, at any rate, have become disillusioned by now. As the Director of Meteorological Services (Dr. E. Kidson) points out in his survey of the weather for July, conditions during the first part of the month were "not unpleasant, but since then the weather has riot been in accordance with the ideas of most people as to what it should be. , There was a keen edge to the wind during the day yesterday, and rain did not help to improve the mental outlook, but.after nightfall there was an even greater drop in the temperature, another was accompanied later by rain and hail squalls. The lowest temperature for the twenty-four hours up to 9 a.m. today, as recorded at Kelburn, was 33.8deg, or l.Bdeg above freezing point. Although lower temperatures than this have been recorded in Wellington in other years, Dr. Kidson stated today that the temperature of 33.8deg was low considering the amount of cloud there was and the rain that fell. The wind was strong at times, the strongest gust registered at Kelburn being 56 miles per hour at about. 2.10 a.m. today. V FALLS OF SNOW. ..Snow'fell heavily on the Rimutaka Kill Road last night, and snow was also low-down on the Mangaroa Hill. Shortly before noon today Mr. W. A. Sutherland, secretary of the Automobile, Associatipn. (Wellington), said that snow was.still falling on the Rimutakas early this morning but under the effects of traffic the snow disappeared off the road, which, however, remained very greasy, necessitating careful driving. The association has had a patrol on the road since.the early, morning to -assist any traffic which gets into difficulties. Mr. Sutherland also.stated that the Makara Hill Ro,ad was reported to be dangerous on', accpunt of the snow and ice conditions, but apart from-that there was nothing locally to impede traffic. There was no trouble at all on the roads up the West Coast. This morning the weather was reported, to be,fine at Levin,- though it was snowing heavily in the Tararuas. ; Although the Orongprongo Hills were*not as liberally coated with snow early this morning as probably most people expected, there was a fairly • thick mantle on the hills at Makara and Karori, on the Ngaio and Khandallah hills, and at other elevated places near the city. Mr. Alex Sutherland, manager of "Te Kamaru" station on the coast at Makara, stated over the telephone today that conditions had been rough there, snow having fallen throughout; the night, and the hills this morning were generously; coated. , The fall, • said Mr. Sutherland, was the heaviest he had seen at "Te Kamaru." Asked if the storm had caused any mortality among the stock, Mr. Sutherland said it .would not,1 do any harm to the stock. Although there were a few lambs at Terawhiti, lambing had not,started at "Te Kamaru." MINOR SUPS. The rain and generally damp weather caused several slips to come down, but as far as could be judged today 'they were not of considerable proportions. A slip which came down from the hill at\the top end of Raroa Road, Kelburn, has cut off the main access to the road of the residents of One house, but fortunately there is another track leading up to the property r^re is a slip on Maida Vale Road which leads down to Evans Bay from Graf ton Road, Roseneath, but it did not completely block the road and traffic was able to get through