WINTER RETURNS IN FORCE

Southland Times, Issue 24832, 26 August 1942, Page 4

WINTER RETURNS IN FORCE

Rain, Hail And Snow The weather in the city on Monday and yesterday was a sharp reminder that winter, at least in Southland, does not end on July 31. It may have been winter’s dying kick, but if so it was a pretty powerful one, for the weather in Invercargill on Monday was as cold, stormy and unpleasant as that of any day this winter. Or at least it seemed so, for one’s estimate may have been affected by the fact that the cold snap followed a spell of warm springlike weather. This spell raised hopes of an early season and caused some industrious gardeners to make a start with their sowing and planting. The more cautious, or perhaps more weather wise, were not, however, to be deceived by sunny skies and soft winds. From past experience they knew that at this time of the year such weather did not necessarily mean that winter had ended. Their scepticism was justified when the city awoke on Monday morning to find a southerly storm raging in full fury and the rain lashing down. NO LACK OF VARIETY There were brief periods of sunshine on Monday, but these were always followed by storms of rain, hail or sleet, and there were peals of distant thunder in the afternoon. Whatever other drawbacks the weather had on Monday lack of variety was not one of them. The storm continued throughout Monday night and there were several sharp showers of hail, with the result that hail, which had the appearance of snow, was lying in secluded corners in the morning. The weather yesterday was again cold and blustery with some showers of rain, but the intervals of fair conditions were longer than they were on the previous day, and the fact that the glass was rising suggested that the worst of the storm was over. The weather on the two days was cold and stormy throughout the province, but no great damage or loss to farmers is reported. Lambing is not yet general, the only lambs about being a few early ones. SNOW AT GORE A heavy fall of snow occurred at Gore yesterday morning and at one stage during the morning the ground was covered to a depth of about half an inch. Snow began to fall, about 7 o’clock and big flakes continued until about 8.30. The weather later cleared, however, and before mid-day most of the snow had disappeared. The atmosphere was still very cold yesterday afternoon and several -rain showers were experienced. In the Merino Downs district the fall was much heavier and the ground was covered to a depth of about three inches yesterday morning. There was only a sprinkling at Tapanui, and no snow fell in the Riversdale and Waikaia areas. The weather was bitterly cold at Queenstown. The hills round the town were coated with snow last night, but there was none lying in the town, though there had been light falls earlier in the evening. The indications were that it might snow before morning. There are a good many visitors at Queenstown at present, and a resident of the town said that they might welcome a decent fall of snow. Some snow fell at Lumsden last evening, but it did not lie. However, the prospects seemed to point to more wintry weather. Monday was a blustery day, but with a good deal of sunshine, and there was a frost at night. “Pretty awful” was the laconic description of the weather at Tuatapere. The storm there was accompanied by snow, .rain and hail, and yesterday morning there was just a sprinkling of snow on the ground. Last, night the weather looked like improving. At Waimahaka, after two stormy days, the weather last night showed definite signs of improving.