THE WEATHER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1176, 20 November 1883, Page 3

THE WEATHER.

At Temuka on Saturday morning last, about 3 o'clock, the sleet which had been previously falling gave way to a heavy downpour of rain, which lasted without cessation till the evening, when a very thick mist set in. An enormous amount of water fell, and the rivers, which had been somewhat swollen by the rain of the previous week, began to rise rapidly. At 8 p.m. the Temuka had risen several feet, and the Opihi was running from bank to bank, and, on the south side, was overflowing its bank just below the railway bridge. The approaches to the Opihi bridge both north and south were considerably damaged by the scour, and it is not now available for vehicles, Very little damage up to the present has been reported, rain in the district having been much wanted. Same of the lowlying land, however, has been completely swamped, and doubtless number of sheep have succumbed to the severity of the Weather.

At Geraldine at daybreak on Saturday morning last, a regular oldfashioned sou'-wester set in, accompanied by a heavy downpour, of rain. The river Waihi toward the atternoon became considerably swollen, and was at its greatest height at about 6 p .m. The river was not, however, so high as during the flood in May last. The footbridge over the river opposite the Geraldine Hotel is much sbakenj though not dangerous to cross. The worst damage done is to the northern approach of the traffic bridge, which is washed away again. It is to be hoped that the repairs thereto will be of a more substantial character than that just washed away. The rivers Waihi and Orari were so high on Saturday that the coach from Geraldine to Orari had to go round each trip by the other route by Mr Postlethwaite's. Beyond one or two fords in other parts of the district, we have not heard of any farther damage being done. Down south, the effects of the rain were more severely felt, and the up express from Dunedin was stopped at Makikihi (where in some places the" railway was completely submerged), and some repairs had to be made before it could proceed. It was detained for some hours, not passing through Temuka till about 8.30 o'clock, the evening train from Christchurch, . Ashhurton, etc., having to shunt on to the siding at Seadown to allow it to pass. The train to Waimate, which started shortly after the express had arrived at Timaru, could not reach its destination, owing to a break between the Makikihi and Hook, and had to return to Timaru. The down express got no further than Palmerston. The railway authorities did their utmost to keep communication open, and on Sunday most of the damage done was repaired, A fatal accident arising out of the floods is reported from Palmerston. A party of six of the train passengers chartered a buggy to go through to Dunedin, and about three miles on the south side of Palmerston they got off the road, which waa covered with water, in the dnrk. One of the passengers, named Allan Hobbs (who was well known in the Temuka district), who was the caretaker of Mr Dodson's horse Cassivelaanus, which is stationed in the Ashhurton district, was drowned. The other passengers had a narrow escape, but some yunng men named Sloan, who lire in

the neighborhood, lent them valuable assistance. The horses were drowned. On Sunday the weather was beautifully fine, ana the rivers subsided considerably, but yesterday rain again set in, and it continued cold aud stormy up to the houi of our going to press. Should it continue, serious floods may be anticipated.