THE WEATHER.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5245, 29 February 1928, Page 2

THE WEATHER.

HEAVY RAIN EXPERIENCED.

BIG DROP IN TEMPERATURE. As indicated by the conditions -during the week-end, the weather on Monday suffered a change. The wind swung round to the south-east, and soon after 9-30 a.m. there was a torrential downpour of. rain which lasted for about a quarter of an hour. The deluge can the better be realised when it is stated that in so short a time there was .55 of an inieh of rain recorded at the rain gauge at the local office of the Public Works Department.

After remaining steady at 30.29 points since Saturday, the barometer fell rapidly on Monday afternoon and heavy rain prevailed until well on in the evening. The wind by this time had gone farther round to the east, but it moderated at about 9 p.m. The local ra'nfall from 9 a.m. on Monday to 9 a.m. yesterday measured 1.65 inches, which makes a total for 1928 of 1.68 inches. Concurrent with the rain there was a sudden di-op in the temperature. At 11 o’clock on Monday morning the thermometer showed 68 degrees. As the day wore on and night approached it became much colder, and at midnight 54 degrees was the temperature. Yesterday conditions improved somewhat, but there was a cold southeasterly wind, and the thermometer showed 56 degrees, which is the temperature of an average winter’s day at Paeroa. The sudden extremes in temperature have been most marked, and have had 1 the effect of forcing people to seek out warmer wearing apparel. BENEFICIAL TO FARMERS. In conversation yesterday afternoon a 'local farmer, speaking of district conditions, stated that the rain had fallen just in time, so far as dairying was concerned. With the exception of paspalum grass pastures were dry and brittle, and of litte value to cows for milk production. Those settlers who possessed stands of lucerne had reason to congratulate themselves.

Continuing, he said that the rain which fell last Friday and Saturday had soaked fairly well into the ground, and there .was little sun or wind on Sunday to dry the surface t° any great extent. The heavy downpour which' followed on Monday had soaked well into the ground and reached the roots of pastures and crops. A few days’ sunshine was required and a revival of growth w°uld be perceptible. When asked if 'the' present cold snap would retard growth he replied that it would not unless it was prolonged. The grounid itself was still quite warm, although the air was cold, and in his opinion it would take about a fortnight for pastures to make the growth ' which usually abounds at this time of the year. The rain had come too late to assist dairy stock that were, already .practically dry,'but with such herds as were in milk the production would, if not actually increase, be maintained considerably ‘longer than, had the drought continued. There was , still ample time for the grass to make-a good growth before the autumn. There was a further cold snap last night, the thermom'eter at 9 o’clock this, morning registering 53 degrees. Since 9 o’clock yesterday morning the barometer has risen two and a half points, and’ is now steady at 30 23.