COLD WINDS AND RAIN

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28746, 18 November 1958, Page 7

COLD WINDS AND RAIN

Falls In Most Of Pr<n ince ' Cold winds and rain last evening brought hopes of relief from Canterbury's drought, particularly around Christchurch. By midnight it was raining heavily in Christchurch, with the likelihood of the rain continuing. Light rain, the first in 30 days, began to fall in Christchurch city soon after midnight on Sunday evening, but only 0.24 inches had fallen by 9 a.m. yesterday, nowhere near enough to ease driedout pastures and gardens. Other parts of Canterbury were more fortunate —Darfield had .46 inches, and Kaikoura, .31 inches.

Ashburton had a couple of light showers early last evening, after .17 inches of rain in the town to 9 a.m. yesterday, and the weather made a break in the drought likely. It was raining heavily at Springfield from about 9 p.m. yesterday, after light falls of snow in the morning, and intermittent rain all day. Most hilly areas had snow yes- ■ terday. Near Springfield and Kaikoura the snow was down to 1500 ft, and Lyttelton residents could see snow across the harbour on the higher hills of Banks Peninsula. The hopes held in the city for the breaking of the drought were hardly justified, however, for many areas did not get much rain, and the showers were only scattered. Only a trace of rain was recorded at the Weather Office at Harewood up to midnight, compared with very heavy falls in the centre of the city. The humidity was high, however, and temperatures low.