STRONG WINDS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 138, 8 December 1938, Page 8

STRONG WINDS

MORE RAIN COMING

Special forecast for Wellington:—

Strong north-westerly winds to gales.

Weather mainly fair at first, with passing cloud and sunshine, but clouding over later and some rain

developing. Mild temperatures,

The general forecast for the Dominion as a whole, issued at noon today for the ensuing 24 hours, is for strong north-westerly winds to gales. There will be a change to south-wester-* lies later in the south, and this change will advance over most of the South Island during the next 24 hours. The weather will be overcast, with rain in western districts from Taranaki southward and in Otago and Southland. Otherwise it will be mainly fair at first, but general rain is probable within the next 24 to 36 hours, with some heavy falls. Temperatures will be cool in the south, but otherwise mild.

The depression which was passing away eastward of the Dominion yesterday gave a few showers early in the morning, but the day turned out fair to fine practically generally. Another depression which has moved on to the Dominion from the Tasman Sea has become extraordinarily intense, barometers in the extreme south of the South Island being below 29 inches. The most outstanding feature of the new disturbance, however, has not been its low pressure but the extremely frequent thunderstorms which have been associated with, its northern portion. A wide belt of these has been crossing the country, Wellington, for instance, last night having a storm lasting several hours. Rainfalls in the vicinity of an inch have been fairly frequent in the central provinces, and rain has now set in also in the far south. With the approach of the new depression winds have turned from the south-west to the north-west, and gales were blowing this morning in a number of places north of Cook Strait.

Auckland's weather yesterday was fine and mild, with scattered cloud and a moderate south-westerly breeze. The maximum temperature was 69.3 degrees and the minimum 59.8 degrees. The wind this morning was freshening from the north-west and the weather was cloudy.

Wellington's weather was fair to fine and rather cool, a light southerly breeze changing to a northerly about 3 p.m. The maximum temperature was 61.4 degrees and the minimum 49.1 degrees. Heavy rain totalling 115 points fell between 1 a.m. and 8 a.m. today, and from 3 a.m. or so onwards there was what is probably the most severe and prolonged thunderstorm ever experienced in the capital city.

Christchurch had fair and mild weather yesterday, a light and variable wind becoming north-easterly in direction during the afternoon. The maximum and minimum temperatures were 62 and 51.5 degrees respectively. Some brief showers totalling one point of rain fell this morning, but the sky soon cleared again.

Dunedin had a fine day with only scattered cloud. A light south-wester-ly was blowing in the morning, but since yesterday afternoon the wind has been north-easterly in direction and by this morning it had become strong. The weather this morning was dull and a little rain had fallen.