HEAVY RAINS.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20543, 11 May 1932, Page 10

HEAVY RAINS.

COLD, WINTRY CONDITIONS. STORMY WEATHER GENERAL. A strong easterly which blew all day yesterday in Christchurcb brought the first real manifestations of approaching winter-* heavy, cold rain and "altogether unpleasant wintry conditions. The rain was general all over the province, but fell with great intensity towards the hills, inland country places reporting a heavy downfall in the early evening. o now fell during the day on the rnounSbT and in the* high foothills, and was nrnected to fall at any time at Sheffield, expectea to herc wag snQW down the Midland line to Cass aid the heavy fall on the Alps Skatesheavier frosts. Everywhere the wind apparently blew without ram until early last evening, when a heavy fall set in in the country. In Cnristchurch the rain did not start until after 7 p.m., a heavy drizzle soon rncriasing its intensity. It was raining hard in the City at midnight, the wind then having changed to the sou'-west. The velocity of the wind decreased towards the mountains. At Lyttelton it was strong enough to damage fences Ind wSelels masts. No damage seemed to have been experienced m Chns£ Phurch. and in towns nearer the hilh there was but a light wind accompanySg the heavy rain. Prom practically Sf centres in Canterbury the latest available reports stated that the indicltTonswere for colder weather and, downpour would be of no value to farmers, whose land received all the rain necessary after a dry spell when the weather broke ten days ago. Until then the ground had been really too dry j for successful tillage. Country Beports. Eeports received from country centres were as follows: . Temuka— Sixty-six points of rain were registered in Temuka as the result of heavy showers on Monday afternoon and evening. There was also a frost of on 6 degree, although the whiteness of the ground led residents to think that it was heavier. -„,,._ v „ rv Methven—Rain was falling very heavily at 8 p.m., and conditions *ere bleakand cold. Snow fell during-the day in the back country. On Monday 49 points were recorded. There was a frost on Tuesday morning. Hororata— Rough weather was experienced all yesterday, and m the evening the rain was falling very heavily. Indications were that it would continue. ~ Sheffield—Conditions were so cold that snow was expected. Heavy ram, the first really heavy winter downpour, started at about 6 p.m. Snow was thick on the high country. Similar conditions prevailed at Springfield. Oxford—Snow was expected to fall vesterday afternoon, but conditions became slightly warmer in the evening. Eain fell heavily from 6 p.m. Akaroa—Heaw rain from the northeast started at 7.'30 p.m., after threatening all day. Cheviot—A cold south-easterly wind brought little rain, but a downpour wag threatening at 8 p.m. A report from Ashburton stated that there was a frost of 6.8 degrees yesterday morning. Waimakariri Rises. The Waimakariri river began to rise* about midday yesterday, and for a time was in light flood, the level rising to four feet above normal at the Construction Camp. The water was receding early in the evening, but the river was expected to rise again when the heavy rains in the mountains came down. A large volume of water passing through the new cut had a beneficial scouring effect.