THE HEAT WAVE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 17, 20 January 1905, Page 5

THE HEAT WAVE.

HAS IT ARRIVED YET?

'•When the flax blooms freely, plenty hot weather by and bye," remarked an old Maori the other day when discussing the unseasonable weather with the pakeha. who was wondering if the summer would ever come. Now, as a matter of fact, the fl.ix bloomed wonderfully this season, and the last three days certainly give the impression that there will be plenty of heat later on. There seems reason to believe that this colony has now ir. its turn !to experience the heat wave. The singui lar mist that spread over the city yester- ; day and also a day or two ago, without being followed by rain, i 3 aiso a sign of heat. Yesterday there was every indication of a downpour of r.iin. an-.! yet when the glass was ex%mined it was rising, and in the evening the mist disappeared, and a hot day followed. This yiist has appeared elsewhere in the colony, und been followed by heat. From Oamaru cornea information that on the lGth a peculiar haze was noticed, by which the sun was more or less obscured throughout the most of the day. The glare was not, however, so prominent n feature as it was on a previous occasion. At Napier, exceptionally hot weather was experienced yesterday, the thermometer registering OOdeg. in the shade. The heavy rainb have ceased f at Invercargill, and there is every indication of fine weather.

According to the "Greytov.n Standard" the heat in the Lower Valley on Saturday and Friday last was almost unbearable. On Saturday afternoon busineßS was at a standstill, and on Sunday the churches were sparsely attended. At MartinborGUgh outside work had to be discontinued, and one man suffered from sunstroke. A similar case was reported at Carterton, where it wae stated that the barometer registered 95 in the shade. The shade readings in Greytown on Saturday and Sunday were 85 and 87 respectively. In Masterton on Sunday 80 was the shade reading.

From Tauranga comes intimation that a heat wave of unusual intensity occurred there on Saturday'-and Sunday, the thermometer registering 88deg. in the'shade. Fortunately a westerly breeze sprang jup, and though it had not the cooling effect of oufe from the sea, proved very acceptable in mitigation of the stifling conditions. Various readings of the thermometer recorded during these two days exceeded any which have occurred here for many years past.