WARMEST DAY OF SUMMER

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27210, 30 November 1953, Page 10

WARMEST DAY OF SUMMER

TEMPERATURE UP TO 83,6 DEGREES BEACHES AND BATHS WELL PATRONISED Christchurch yesterday had its warmest day since last March when temperatures rose to 83.6 degrees about 12.30 p.m. On March 11 the tempera** ture rose to 86 degrees. Yesterday the temperature was up to 80 degrees at 11 a.m„ and it did not drop below that level until after 5 p.m.» according to figures given last evening by the weather office at Harewood.

It was also a day of low humidities. At 3 p.m. the humidity was only 17 per cent, and between midday and 4 pm. it ranged from 17 to 19 per cent. The 3 pm. reading was the lowest humidity of the year.

Hundreds sought relief from the heat at Sumner and New Brighton, and the Christchurch Transport Board put on some extra buses to take passengers to the two resorts, but an officer of the board said late in the afternoon that the traffic had not been as heavy as he had anticipated. There were nevertheless large crowds at the beaches, and tea room attendants said last evening that they had scarcely had time to look out all day at the crowds basking on the sands.

People started to patronise the beaches early yesterday. About 20 people were bathing at Sumner at 2.15 a.m., and others, apparently unable to sleep, were sitting on the beach on rugs. People with bathing suits under light outer garments were in the streets of the township in the early hours of the morning.

It was a day for swimming, and the Centennial pool and suburban fresh water pools were heavily patronised. Nearly 1500 people were admitted to the Centennial pool, which has the chill off the water, in the four hours that it was open in the afternoon, and at the smaller cold water pool at St. Albans about 440 were admitted during a period of five hours. At St. Albans most persons swam, but some were content to lie in the sun on the lawns surrounding the pool.

The tall trees in Hagley Park and the Botanic Gardens were one of the few cool spots in the city, and this area was a haven for many citizens who must have once again felt thankful for the wisdom and foresight of the pioneers.

During the afternoon some children used the Avon between Worcester and Hereford streets as a paddling pool.

Trend of Temperatures* At the weather office at Harewood the temperature at 6 am. yesterday was 68.8 degrees. During the morning it rose steadily. At 7 a.m. the reading was 71.3, 8 am. 78, 9 a.m. 79, 10 a.m. 79.1, 11 a.m. 82. and midday 82. The peak was reached at about 12 30 p.m., when the thermometer touched 83,6. In the early afternoon the temperatures eased slightly to 81 degrees at 1 pm., and 80 at 2 p.m., but in the mid-afternoon at 3 pm. it was up again to 82.3 degrees. At 5 p.m. the temperature was still about 80 degrees, but at 5.20 p.m. the wind, which had been blowing intermittently from the north-west at velocities up to about 25 knots, turned to the south-west, and soon afterwards to the north-east. The result was that at 6 p.m. the temperature reading was down to 74.2 degrees, and at 7 p.m. to 64.8.

On Saturday the maximum temperature at Harewood was 82.3 degrees, recorded about 11.30 a.m. At the observatory of the Magnetic Survey in the Botanic Gardens the highest temperature of the day was 83.4 degrees. During the last fortnight temperatures have risen over 70 degrees on nine occasions at Harewood, and over 80 degrees on four occasions. When 86 deiprees was recorded on March 11 it was the only occasion during the month that 80 degrees had been exceeded, and 80 degrees was exceeded only twice in February and once in January—an indication of the indifferent summer weather experienced early this year. A temperature of 87.2 degrees—the highest this summer—was recorded at Waimate on Saturday.