THE WEATHER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1760, 16 October 1883, Page 2

THE WEATHER.

♦ The weather has been wild and stormy almost beyond precedent during the last week or two. On Saturday fierce squalls blew up from the westward, accompanied by heavy showers of hail, and it is reported, though the statement has not been satisfactorily verified, that snow fell on the outskirts of Hamilton during the day. On Sunday less rain fell, but the wind squalls were unpleasantly cold. Yesterday a further improvement was noticeable, but still there was a decided feeling of winter in the atmosphere. Ah a natural consequence of this untoward condition of things the fruit trees have suffered largely. A month ago everything pointed to an abundant season, but now the prospect is by no means a bright one. What is perhaps of gi eater consequence, i& the backwardness of the grass, so necessary now that the farmers of this district have gone in extensively for dairying. Strangely enough, despite the weather the supply of milk at the Hamilton Cheese Factory has steadily increased day by day. This is a very hopeful sign, and discovers much energy in those who engaged to provide the raw material. In the out-districts, and particularly at Te Aroha, the weather has been particularly bad, though, fortunately for the new goldfields, the heavy rain has not caused any appreciable amount of damage to the tramway. The mortality among the lambs in the country districts has also been somewhat severe. From the South we have depressing accounts. On the sea-board the weather has been extremely boisterous, and the wonder is that we have not numerous casualties at sea to chronicle. On Saturday morning there was a heavy snowstorm m Otago, and since then the weather has continued boisterous and showery from the south-west.