HEAT WAVE IN AUSTRALIA

Otago Witness, Issue 2810, 22 January 1908, Page 27

HEAT WAVE IN AUSTRALIA

UNEXAMPLED- TEMPERATUBE. GREAT MORTALITY. ' ANIMALS DYING IN HUNDREDS. SUFFERINGS OF THE PEOPLE. HEAVY DEATH ROLL. SYDNEY, January 15. The effects of the continued dry weather are beginning to be seriously felt. In many districts there is a shortage of water and feed. The heat in the interior is very severe. -At- Broken Hill the thermometer registered llOdeg in the shade. January 16. The heat wa*e affects the whole of the State. At Menindie it -registered 114deg, at Wentworth 113deg, at Deniliquin Hid eg, and at many places it was well over IGOdeg. In Victoria and New. South Wales generally it ranges from 102 degrees to 117deg.' Grasshoppers are destroying everything green in the Singleton district. January 17. The drought is seriously affecting 'the South Coast districts, where cattle dying for want of water. The heat in the interior is intense. Enston, with llodeg, topped many other high registers. January 20. Intense heat prevails, throughout the State. It is especially severe in the interior. At Deniliquin the thermometer registered 115. Abnormally hot weather 5s being experienced in the Southern States, causing a delay in the telegraphic services. An unconfirmed report'^ has ' reached Melbourne to the effect that a tornado struck Adeilaide and did a lot of damage. No details are to hand. ADELAIDE, January 18. • The- heat wave is unabated, and llOdeg was registered in the city. January 19. The thermometer yesterday touched 114 and for the fourth day in succession it lias exceeded llOdeg, which i 6 a record for this city during the .50 years for which official figures have been kept. The majority of people .are sleeping out of doors. \ MELBOURNE, January 16. The weather is again roasting. It was 102deg in the city, 117deg at Swan Hill, and 115deg at Wycheproof. January 17. There is no abatement in the heat, 106.7 having been registered in. the city and 119 at Swan Hill yesterday. January 18. The heat is terrible. It touched 112deg in the city yesterday, and people are prostrated. There have been two deaths from heat apoplexy. The whole State is suffering. Cases of apoplexy ar« reported from all parts, and there have been several deaths at Horsham. ' The thermometer registered 125deg at Horsham, where Sinclair's large general store and two other business places were destroyed. January 19. The present spell of heat is. the worst experienced for 25 years-. . The general discomfort is intensified by a hot north wind bringing oloud6 of dust and smoke from the surrounding bush fires. The houses are too hot for sleep, and thousands are sleeping on lawns, in gardens, and in the parks, or camped on the aeashore, where bathing proceeds throughout th© night. The blacksmiths in the Government workshops " and employees of some private firms have been allowed to, cease work. The doctors are having a busy time. There have been numerous cases of heat, apoplexy, several people dropping in the streets. Yesterday one man, a driver of a brewery cart, succumbed. Horses are suffering terribly, and some dropped dead. The ice companies are unable to keep pace with the demand. Country reports 6how Lhat the heat is increasing. There have been several deaths from apoplexy, and a great mortality among domestic animals. Fowls are dying in hundreds. January 20. The thermometer yesterday registered 106. This is the fifth day in succession it has exceeded 100, thus establishing a record. The number of deaths is excessive. Eleven have been reported in the city during the last two days that are directly attributed to the heat. There has been a similar number of suicides during the present month, to which it is claimed the hot weather largely contributed. The churches yesterday were almost deserted, and the services were shortened. The Princess Theatre was closed on Saturday for the same cause. Uo' paa-fc o£ tha State lias escaped. In numbers of places' records were established. At Swan Hill the thermometer registered 121. " - This was another r roasting day, and work generally was to large extent stopped owng to the heat. Several more deaths are reported. According to Mr Clement Wragge, the present season is the commencement of another drought cycle, and until 3M2 Auj|-

tralia is to have a severe time of it. " 3S credence is given to Mr-'Wragge's oredi<§> tion it should prove a valuable guide tfc New Zealand farmers.