ROUCH WEATHER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2219, 17 June 1908, Page 3

ROUCH WEATHER.

■DELAYS TO SHIPPING. [Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, June 16. The Cashmere Hills wore their first white cap of the winter this morning, the dawn coining to reveal the hill-tops arrayed in snowy white. The weather In the city during the day has been thoroughly wintry, brief periods of sunshine alternating with heavy showers of rain, sometimes slightly tinged with snow. There was a heavy fall of snow on the hills roundLyttelton Hrbor during - the night, ■_s and tho white coating extended:about half-way down the slopes*. The'southerly gale continued all night, but moderated eariv this morning, there being very little wind. During, the day heavy -rain and sleet squalls passed over the town at frequent inter--Vals, and- tho air was bitterly .cold, the thermometer registering 38 degrees this 1 morning. The barometer continued to rise during the night, and at noon to-day the reading was 30.21. The heavy southerly gale had the usual effect of delaying steamers coming from the northward. The first steamer to arrive this morning was tho Hawea, from Grey-mouth, which was due early yesterday evening. The vessel left Greyinoutii at 10 p.m. on Saturday, and experienced a heavy ■westerly gale when she was through Cook Strait. After passing -Kaikoiira about 7.30 last; night, the Hawea encountered a hard sou’-west gale, with heavy seas, and -frequent rain and snow squalls -until arrival 'Lyttelton -at 7.30 this morning. The big steamer Papanui -was seventeen hours on the passage down from Wellington, -while the .ferry steamer Mararoa did not arrive until 10 a.in., over two hours late. Both vessels had an unpleasant experience steaming against the gale and the -heavy rain and snow squalls. .