DROUGHT BROKEN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 April 1939, Page 6

DROUGHT BROKEN

DRENCHING RAIN FALLS IN WAIRARAPA ALL FARMERS OVERJOYED. RELIEF JUST IN TIME. No rain has been greeted with greater joy by the farming community than that which began to fall throughout the Wairarapa last night and has continued unabated since. The drought of the past three months has definitely broken, as the fall up to 9 a.m. this morning ranged from 1.59 inches in Masterton to 2.77 inches in Mauriceville and drenching rain has since continued to fall. "It has come just in the nick of time,” said an East Coast farmer this morning. “It means everything to us. Our tanks, which were empty, are now overflowing and our streams, which were dry are now flowing again.” These observations apply equally well to other parts of the district and there is no doubt that from the farmers' point of view and that of the country generally the rain is of inestimable value. An indication of the fall is given by the following: Miss A. M. Brown, Masterton, records 1.59 inches up to 9 a.m. this morning, while at Solway Mr H. M. Boddington records 1.50 inches. Mr H. G. Groves, “Marangai,” Tinui, reported 1.25 inches up to 7 a.m. this morning and Mr F. C. H. Cotter, Te Wharau, 1 inch up to 9 a.m. At Mauriceville Mr Allan Cameron recorded 2.77 inches up to 9 a.m. FALL IN HAWKE’S BAY. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) DANNEVIRKE, This Day. The prolonged drought in Southern Hawke’s Bay was broken yesterday afternoon by a light fall of rain which during the night increased in volume. The reading at 9 a.m. today showed I. inches. The rainfall for the previous period of the year amounted to 3.70 inches. Rain continued steadily throughout the day and should do much to relieve the acute conditions of the farming community. PHENOMENAL DOWNPOUR. DELUGE ON MOUNT EGMONT. NEW PLYMOUTH, This Day. Not for years has rain poured down on Mount Egmont as it did last night. Instead of measuring the fall in inches it was almost possible to measure it in feet, for the total fall for the twentyfour hours to 9 o’clock’this morning was 11.5 inches. In New Plymouth only a fraction less than four inches fell during the same period and at the end of that time the rain was coming down heavier than ever. This is the heaviest fall recorded in a twentyhour period for years and almost equal to all the total for the rest of the year in New Plymouth, the figure up to yesterday morning being less than five inches. The-parched state of the ground following the drought prevented flooding, although there is still, a danger as the streams are rising as the downpour is unabated.