RAINS IN AUSTRALIA

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20743, 1 March 1939, Page 7

RAINS IN AUSTRALIA

LONG DROUGHT ENDB GREAT DAMAGE BY FLOODS GALE DESTROYS FRUIT CROP (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) SYDNEY, Feb. 28 Bountiful rains have fallen over a large part of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria in the past 48 hours. These have partly broken a protraoted drought and replenished Ihe storage dams at Burrinjack and along the River Murray. Eastern and northern districts of Victoria received a thorough drenching, and now there is a danger of floodings on some of the Gippsland rivers. Queensland reports state that four inches of rain at the week-end broke a three years’ drought in the southwest. A Big Rainfall Similar conditions prevail in Victoria, where, in the north-east, upward of seven inches of 'rain have been registered since Friday. Rivers are running to the level of tlie banks in Gippsland. In Melbourne the rainfall of 7.72i0. for the month represents ail all time record for February. Fruitgrowers along the Tamar River, Tasmania, suffered heavy losses through a gale which destroyed from 25 to 30 per cent of the pear and early apple crops. The best rains for over a year have fallen in the wheat and pastoral areas of New South Wales and it is still raining.