A SHOWERY WEEK-END.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 127, 1 June 1925, Page 7

A SHOWERY WEEK-END.

STORMS IN THE NORTH. COASTAL SHIPPING DELAYED. WKATHKU JJUIUXG MAY. t ( Stormy weather along the coast north of Auckland interrupted shipping on Friday and Saturday, and several vessels which arrived here over the week-end were severely buffeted while working the northern ports. Reports from captains of overseas steamers reaching this port also indicate that cyclonic storms have been raging in the Houth Pacific. The Northern Co.'a steamer Clansman received the full force of the storms in the. Xorth, and was delayed for over nine hours. After being held up at Mangonui owing to thick weather, the vessel proceeded to Opua, where she was delayed on Friday evening by a hard north-east gale. At 2 a.m. on Saturday the storm showed signs of abating, and the Clansman sailed for Auckland, where she arrived late on Saturday afternoon. Heavy seas were experienced until gaining the shelter of the gulf. The Glenelg met bad wather soon after leaving Whnngarei, and was compelled to ecek the shelter of the Heads until Saturday morning. She reached this port on Saturday evening. At Portland the Kaituna was delayed in her berthing, 'being forced to shelter inside Whangarei Heads. Iris Meets Bad Weather. The Pacific Cable Board's steamer Iris encountered very stormy weather in the .Southern Pacific, where cyclonic disturbances >aye been prevalent. The Iris left Auckland on Muy 20, and the following day ran into a furious gale. The vessel ran eastward for a day and ahalf, and thus avoided crossing the centre of the cyclone. On May 24 Norfolk Island was reached, and the next day the Iris carried out repairs to the cable between the island and Auckland. The fault was found to be due to the cha.fing of the cable on the rocky bed of the ocean, the relaying of two miles of now line being necessar)'. Her work completed, the Iris left on her return trip to Auckland on Wednesday evening, and the next day encountered more bad weather. A fierce east-north-east gale was raping, and it was decided to heaveto. After a delay of 30 hours the conditions moderated, and the vessel wia able to resume her course. Heavy seas, however, were met with until arrival yesterday morning. Unsettled conditions prevailed in the city over the week-end, yesterday being particularly showery. The sky on Saturday morning was dull, but rain held off to allow the usual afternoon sports to he carried out in fine weather. Early yesterday, light rain set in and continued for the greater part of the day. The fall for the twenty-four hours ended 0 o'clock this morning amounted to .23 inches. Steady rain set in at noon to-day and continued for several hours. Figures supplied by the Government Weather Observer (Captain D. McLeay) show that the total rainfall for the month amounted to 5.25 inches. The latter figure is 71 points in excess of the average for May of 4.54 inches. Eain fell, according to observations taken at the Albert Park Observatory, on 24 days, the maximum fall occurring on the 12th, when the fall for the twenty-four hours amounted to 1.45 inches. The total amount of bright sunshine for the month was Jl7 hours, a figure below the average. The barometer, which was fairly steady during the early part of the month, showed a mean reading of 30.073 inches. On the 9th ult., the mercury reached 30.507 inches, its higheet reading, and yesterday fell to 30.44 inches. To-day the mercury was steady at 29.594 inches. The approximate mean temperature in the shade was 57.3 deg. Fah., the 22nd and Bth ult. being the hottest and coldest days respectively.