A HEAT WAVE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 449, 30 January 1909, Page 4

A HEAT WAVE.

South Wales is not likely to forget soon the heat wave that struck the State in the first week of the new year. On Sunday, the 3rd, the temperature in Sydney rose to 104 in the shade, a temperature exceeded on but five occasions in over 50 years. This was in the city ; in the suburbs the thermometer rose to 113. Not only was it very hot, but the temperature varied in a remarkable degree. The maximum in the city was reached at a quarter past three, and but a quarter of an hour later the thermometer showed 95, while the humidity had increased from 2i to 36 per cent. These changes were due to a change in the wind. Next day the maximum reading in the city was 99.1, and in the suburbs 113.7. From all parts of the State came reports of terrible heat, causing hundreds of cases of prostration and great loss of stock. ‘‘Usually large numbers of people travel by train from the western suburban stations on Sunday, but yesterday there was only a sprinkling of travellers,” says the Sydney Morning Herald. The populous areas of Ash field, Bnrwood, Croydon and Strathfield were as quiet as if they had been struck with a pestilence. Doors and windows were shut nearly all day to keep out the fiery blast, which, laden with dust from further west, made life outside almost unbearable." But Sydney was not in such a had way as Bonrke, which seems to be the hottest place in the State.' For six days the maximum temperature ranged between 103 deg. and 123 deg, and Sunday was the hottest day since the seventies. Twelve years ago Bourke had to endure 24 days of terrific heat, during which the thermometer was never lower than 102, and rose as high as 119. Numbers of places last week reported temperatures of over 100, and in several Hie thermometer topped no. Birds suffered terribly. Poultry died in hundreds, and at Windsor, where the thermometer went up to 119, birds dropped dead from the trees. No fewer than 13 magpies were found under one tree.