SOUTHERLY BUSTER

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 183, 24 October 1927, Page 9

SOUTHERLY BUSTER

Bleak, Winter Weather General Over Most of Dominion

LABOUR DAY SPORTS SPOILED

RAIN, hail and snow have fallen generally throughout the Dominion. Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland have been whisked back to winter once again and Labour Day celebrations have suffered everywhere.

CO far as the holiday-maker is conK ~ cerned, Labour Day in Auckland has been a dismal failure. The picnic hampers packed in anticipation of sunshine and warm breezes might just as well have remained unpacked. The two big picnic excursions, one to Pine Island and the other to Motutapu, were cancelled, while other excursion trips were poorly patronised. Labour Day sports at the Domain were held under disadvantageous conditions, although bright sunshine during the afternoon relieved some of the discomfort.

HEAVY SNOWFALL

KING COUNTRY COVERED Heavy snow fell in the King Country last night. , This morning passengers on the Limited said that there were several inches of snow covering the ground at Horopito and in the high country at the Spiral. The night was very cold and snow fell heavily from early last evening. There was a good fall at Taihape. If the weather does not break the cold snap will he disastrous for the young lambs, which are very plentiful at present. This morning it was still raining, but the snow had stopped falling.

HEAVY WEATHER IN WELLINGTON

SPORTS MEETINGS AFFECTED

Press Association. WELLINGTON, To-day. A strong northerly wind on Saturday night necessitated the postponement of the evening athletic meeting. The weather changed suddenly on Sunday, and in the afternoon developed into a strong southerly, with cold, heavy showers. A launch got into difficulties in the heavy seas in the harbour yesterday and drifted about helpless for several hours. It contained a party which had been fishing off Ngahauranga in the morning when it was caught by the heavy weather. The craft was carried across toward Somes Island, the engine refusing to start, but finally she reached shallow water near Petone and dropped anchor till the sea moderated sufficiently to allow it to be beached. One of the party, John Johnson, aged 19, had an arm fractured while the launch was being buffeted. The Union Steam Ship Company’s launch and the pilot launch in the meantime searched for the craft, but a misty rain prevented them sighting it. Several yachts also had a struggle to get back to their moorings. Yesterday’s weather is continuing in a milder form to-day, and will seriously affect sports and racing.

BITTER WEATHER

CHRISTCHURCH SPORTS OFF Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, To-day. Bitterly cold weather prevails today, with intermittent rain showers and snowflakes. Most holiday fixtures have been postponed.

SNOW, SLEET AND RAIN

CANTERBURY PLAINS SUFFER Press Association. ASHBURTON, To-day. The Ashburton County had a touch of winter yesterday. In the borough light snow and sleet fell for half an hour and in the afternoon and for a while in the evening with very heavy hail also. Further inland snow fell for two hours in the afternoon, but did not lie, as rain had fallen the previous evening. There was a heavy fall of snow and the hills were covered to the foot.

Losses of lambs in the back country will be heavy, as lambing was in progress, while on the plains even some were lost. To-day is brighter, but theatening.

BAD WEATHER AT THAMES

SPORTS POSTPONED (From Our Own Correspondent) THAMES, To-day. Owing' to the rain all outdoor events in connection with Labour Day have been abandoned. The children are being entertained in the Drill Hall. Unless the weather clears the Waihi versus Thames rifle shooting match will not take place.

SNOWFALL AT DUNEDIN

DUNEDIN, To-day. Heavy hail showers, with a strong southerly, prevailed yesterday and snow fell during the night. To-day is blustery and cold. The big Labour picnic at Evansdale has been postponed, there being a considerable fall of snow there.