FINE AND COLD

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 23, 27 July 1939, Page 8

FINE AND COLD

SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT

Special forecast for Wellington:—

Moderate to fresh south-wester-ly winds. Weather fine and cold.

The general forecast for the Dominion as a whole, issued at noon today for the ensuing twenty-four hours, is for a continuance of southwesterly winds. These will still reach gale force in exposed positions on the east coast, but winds otherwise will be moderate to strong in force. In western districts from Taranaki southward the weather for the most part will be fine, but otherwise it will be changeable with further showers, more particularly in the far north and south and on the east coast between Cook Strait and East Cape. Conditions, however, are likely to be rather better than they- have been, although temperatures will still be very cold and showers will still i have snow in them at times. Hard I frosts may be expected tonight.

The intense anticyclone centred over south-eastern Australia has moved ? slowly on to the western Tasman Sea. }} but there has been no rise in pressure at the Chatham Islands, consequently fc there has been little change in the meteorological situation over New ' Zealand. Strong south-westerly winds c have continued to blow, with gale * force on the east coast and with the I force of a strong gale in exposed s positions. Otago and Southland continue to experience the severest of winter conditions, intermittent falls of snow and hail having continued throughout yesterday and last night. The snow now lying on the flats to a depth 'of over a foot has caused a dislocation of transport and communication services. The snow last night extended up the east coast to Hawke's Bay, 4 J inches being reported this morning from Masterton. In Nelson and Wcstland the weather has been mainly fair, but in the North Island it has remained changeable, showers of rain being accompanied at times by hail and snow. The heaviest rainfalls have been 184 points at Dunedin and 141 at Cape Palliser. Temperatures, have been very cold, and there were many hard frosts last night. Conditions this morning' were slightly better, but there is no immediate prospect of any great improvement or of any rise in temperatures. Auckland's weather has continued changeable with passing showers and sometimes hail. A strong westerly to south-westerly wind has had gusts reaching a velocity of 50 miles an hour. There was a thunderstorm in the neighbourhood yesterday morning and lightning was visible from the city during the evening. Temperatures'have been cold, yesterday's maximum and minimum being 50.6 and 35 degrees respectively, while the rainfall totalled 55 points. Wellington was again lucky in having a fine and sunny day, 7.2 hours of bright sunshine being recorded. Temperatures, however, were very cold, the maximum reached being only 42.3 degrees. The minimum last night was 32.8 degrees, while the grass minimum at Kelburn fell to 29.8 degrees, giving a frost of 2.2 degrees. Only one point of rain was recorded A moderate south-westerly wind prevailed in the city, but last night it temporarily became strong again and there was a light fall of snow. This morning's weather was fine and sunny again with a moderate westerly wind, temperatures still being very cold. In Christchurch the weather was overcast, and in the afternoon inter- ! mittent snow began to fall, continu- j ing until midnight. The strong south westerly wind then decreased in force, the weather cleared, and there was a 14.4 degree frost. Temperatures during the day had been very cold, with 39 degrees as the maximum, and 28.3 as the minimum during the night. A strong south-westerly breeze in Dunedin increased to a gale last night. Heavy showers of snow and hail continued to fall throughout yesterday and last night, the total rainfall amounting to 184 points. The weather this morning was rather better, but a strong south-westerly was still blowing and temperatures were extremely cold.