THE WEATHER.

A BITTEti SOUTHERLY. Saturday morning was fine with a cloudless sky following a frost, but at about 2 p.m. a. bitter' sou'-wester, bringing with it rain, blew up, and spoiled all outdoor fixtures. Early in tlie evening a shower of hail fell and then a sharp shower of rain. The wind then dropped, the sky cleared and yesterday morning nearly 14 de- ; grees of frost were recorded. The forenoon was fine, but the wind again set in from the sou'-west and "tte balance of the day was very wintry. There was a very sudden change in the weather on Saturday afternoon at Rakaia, when the wind veered and a storm came up from the south. "A few flakes of snow fell in some parts of the township, but the amount was only slight. The weather at Springfield, though not cold, has been .changeable. There was a slight frost oh Friday night, but on Saturday a, cold sou'-wesfc wind sprang up, bringing rain, sleet, and snow. Up till. Saturday the TorJesse range has had an unusually light l sprinkling of snow for this time of the y ear « FERRY STEAMER DELAYED. A sudden' change in the weather took place at Lytteiton on Saturday afternoon, when a strc-Mg southerly gale set in, accompanied by \ squalls oi raip* and hail. 'The weather continued wintry all day yesterday. The ferry steamer Mararoa did not arrive until 11.45 a.m. iShe experienced a strong head wind , with heavy rain until Kaikoura was passed, when the gale moderated. ■