RAIN AND SNOW.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20028, 9 September 1930, Page 11

RAIN AND SNOW.

SERIOUS LAMB LOSSES. KEEPING NORTHERN ROAD OPEN. Further reports of the storm which swept Canterbury over the week-end do not allay fears of serious losses of lambs in many quarters and agricultural work will be suspended for some time. Little damage to roads is reported, although difficulty is being experienced in keeping the northern highway clear of recurring slips in the Kaikoura district. In many parts of tho province, heavy rain fell yesterday. Late last evening, the weather on tho Peninsula and in the City was improving, with a rising barometer, but in many other parts of the province there was little change. ! Heavy Rain at Akaroa. Between 9 a.m. on Sunday and 7.30 p.m. yesterday, 3.64 inches of rain fell at Akaroa. Sunday was cold, stormy, Hnd wet, the rain increasing towards evening, and a fall of 1.25 inches was registerod for the 24 hours ended at 9 a.m. on Monday. All day yesterday, heavy rain fell, with a strong southwest wind, and by 7.30 p.m., when the weather became much clearer, a further 2.39 inches of rain had been added to the total. No damage was done in tho town district, but the storm has occurred in the middle of the Peninsula's lambing season and farmers fear considerable losses. Service cars on- the Akaroa-Cbrist-church route experienced no difficulty in their running yesterday, but the Eastern Bay mail service could not be completed on account of a slip on the road between Chorltc-n and Stbney Bay. There has been a substantia? snowfall on the hills. On the Summit road, between Okain's Saddle and Long Bav road, snow k lying to a depth of eight inches. Lamb Lossesatßakaia. On several farms in the Rakaia district, there have been heavy losses of lambs, due to the cold weather.- Some farms report 30 to 40 deaths. Rain, sleet, and snow fell at intervals over the week-end, and yesterday morning there was a light covering of snow on the ground. At 4 o'clook yesterday, the rainfall since the storm began amounted to 1.26 inches. Farmers have had an anxious time endeavouring to save lambs. The shortness of feed, due to the ravages of the grass during the winter,, has caused the ewes to wander about away from shelter in search of grass, and it has been almost impossible to keep sheep in the lee of tree shelter belts. All agricultural work will be held up for some time. Roads Near Kaikoura. Heavy rain set in at Kaikoura on Sunday night, and continued throughout yesterday. The roads from Kaikoura north are in good order, while on the inland road, Kaikoura to Waiau, snow has been experienced during the past three days, but it does not remain on the ground for any length of time. The Whalesback calls for cautious driving. ) The Kaikoura-Christchurch road is in good order, except for slips at Hunda* lee and Okaraha hills, where teams and lorries have made them sticky, and there aTe some deep ruts. Several gangs of men are employed in the vicinity and a. clear way is always provided up to the time of work ceasing. After dark slips may come down, and.mojgjrv ists should exercise caution when ascending and descending the hills between the Conway river and Oaro. Snow was experienced for a short period between the. Conway driver and Hundalee, and the-mountains around Kaikoura, north and west, received 8, heavy coating of snow yesterday. ' Should rain continue, motorists may expect trouble at Stoney creelc, an unbridged stream about six miles south, of Kaikoura. There is danger from skidding almost until the Conway river is reached. There is a treacherous stream just north of Ferniehurst letterbox, after leaving Parnassus for Kaikoura. The service-ears got through yesterday, but the conditions are against safe travelling at present for private owners of cars. Widespread Effect of Storm. Ashburton suffered another bitterly cold day yesterday and reports from the district state that there-will be losses of lambs, particularly in the coastal districts. Hail and sleet fell intermittently on 6 Sunday, to be sue-1 ceeded by snow, which covered _ the ground to a depth of, over half an inch. ( Bain fell heavily all day yesterday and I last evening had removed nearly all snow from the ground. From Friday night until last evening, 83 points of rain were registered in ABhburton. In the back country, snow f ell thickly on Saturday and Sunday, wide tracts of land being covered to a depth of six inches. One farmer at Seafield lost over 100 lambs .■'..» Up till 6 p.m. yesterday, 94 points of rain had been recorded in the Hororata district, snow falling heavily until midday, followed by continuous rain. No damage was reported, though a very bad day was experienced, and the weather was bitterly cold. Prospects last evening were for a slight improvement. A saturated ground, with slushy snow thawed by rain in the afternoon, made conditions unpleasant at Oxford, where a grey night promised further showers. Many lambs born yesterday were reported to have died, only a few having been saved where shelter was offering. A cold, though not particularly strong, wind had been blowing continuously. At the upper end of Lees Valley, 10 inches of snow had fallen, with four inches at the lower end. Bough weather wag reported from Darfleld, though heavy Tain had not caused extensive losses. The Selwyn river was high, and a great deal of water was lying about. Last evening the rain appeared to have set in for the night. Snow at Methven covered the ground to a depth of from three to four inches on tho flat, deepening towards the hills. There was no appearance of clearing last night, a cold driving wind blowing, with heavy snow. A few losses. Of lambs were reported, but no flocks were wiped out. Nine inches of snow were reported, by various people who arrived in Springfield yesterday, to have fallen I near Cass. In Springfield itself the fall was comparatively light, and there was about half an inch in the township. Fortunately lambing in the district has not yet become general. Last night there were.no signs of any break in the weather. Bain fell heavily at Cheviot yesterday, and last night it appeared to have set in. There was no snow, but sleet and hail were experienced. Lambing has not yet commenced to any extent. • Many lambs were lost, both among big and small holders, in the Amberley district yesterday. The cold was almost unprecedented for the time of the year, and intermittent showers fell all day. Last night it was raining hard. At Waiau during Sunday night the strong south-westerly wind abated, and the weather appeared to be clearing j but in the .early hours of Monday morning the sky again clouded over, and at about six a.m. snow began to fall heavily. This continued for' several hours, and then gave way to rain, which fell steadily, and at times heavily,

throughout the day. Late in the-after-noon, nearer the Mils, snow was falling thibkly, and on the Whaleback,_oji the inland road to Kaikoura, was lying to a depth of four inches. Workmen from the Glen Wye road reported that in that locality, -which,, has been ,practically free from snow throughout the winter, enow was lying eight inches deep. Late, last night it was still raining in the townßhip, and there, were no signs of any abatement. -- Gale at little Siver. , One of the most violent gales experienced in Biver. bl^w ; the week-end, heavy sbow and sleet falling on Sunday night, and by yesterday morning the snow was .down to thebase of the hills. Bain then 'washed it back to the 600 feet level. All creeks . were in full flood, and the water had not gone back last night. More Tain ■ was imminent, and it was expected that'. many lambs would not survive.. A very cold drizzle fell all yesterday at Eangiora, and was continuing last ft night. No snow was Jying on the ground except towards the hills, and little damago was reported.