Mid winter warmth

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 5, Issue 13, 25 August 1987, Page 7

Mid winter warmth

One very surprised reader phoned the Bulletin On Sunday (yes we are on the job at weekends too!) to say that he had just recorded a 3pm shade temperature of 26°C in Ohakune. When the Bulletin suggested that it was probably time for the caller to invest in a new temperature guage, he assured us that the thermometer was reliable and explained the situation thus: He had, a short time before, phoned Auckland from where it was reported that it was both cold and wet with rain falling for much of the day causing rugby league players to slosh around on soaking paddocks. When told that it was both sunny and warm in Ohakune with no hint of rain, the news was greeted with a certain amount of

scepticism at the Auckland end of the line. But when told that the temperature inside the hcuse in Ohakune from which the call was being made was registering 24°C without any form of heating, this scepticism turned into downright disbelief. "Ah, but what's the temperature outside?" asked the Auckland sceptic. "I don't know but I'll find out" said our local man who took this as a challenge and an implied affront to Ohakune's weather. But even he was surprised when, having placed a thermometer in a shady spot outdoors and facing the direction from which any wind there was, was coming, he found that after 15 minutes or so, the temperature was registering 26° Celsius! "Hmmm"