Good Weather For Holiday Week-End

Press, Volume C, Issue 29651, 23 October 1961, Page 12

Good Weather For Holiday Week-End

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, October 22. A large anti-cyclone which stationed itself to the west of the North Island two days ago has meant that the country generally has had one of its best Labour Day weekends in many years. Fine weather was general throughout the Dominion today with the exception of a few brief showers in Southland early today and some cloud and patches of drizzle on tne West Coast of the South Island. Temperatures in the North Island and the northern section of the South Island were described by the Weather Office tonight as mild to warm. Top temperature of the day was the 91 degrees recorded at Napier at 3 pm, with several other stations recording 80 degrees and above. The anti-cyclone is losing its intensity, but the weather tomorrow is expected to be generally fine with light winds and variable skies. Aucklanders are making the most at the holiday outdoors. A maximum temperature of 72 degrees was recorded on Saturday, and 71 degrees today. The record temperature in the city for October was 732 degrees in 1956. All beaches were crowded yesterday and today, and all outdoor sports attracted large numbers. Swimming baths were well patronised. About 30 skiers and mountaineers are spending Labour week-end in nine caves dug in the snow at a height of 9000 ft on Mount Ruapehu overlooking the crater lake Most of the caves were dug early on Saturday morning and they range from two-man bungalows to fiveman mansions. The larger caves took six to seven hours to dig. The mountaineers are from three Wellington clubs, the Hutt Valley Ski Club. Wellington Tramping and Mountaineering Club and the Tararua Tramping Club. The club members are climbing the major peaks of Ruapehu and spending some time swimming in the crater lake which is pleasantly warm. Many skiers on the mountain were dressed for the beach in bikinis and shorts. Hot and cloudless

weather has made for excellent sunbathing. Ski-ing conditions are reported to be excellent on the high levels but very poor below 5800 feet. Otago Sunshine Brilliant sunshine, high temperatures and no serious road accidents marked the first two days of the Labour Day week-end holiday throughout Otago. Both main highways north and south of Dunedin carried a heavy volume of trafc fic on Friday night and Saturday. Central Otago was again popular with holidaymakers and most camping grounds were well patronised. In Dunedin beaches were popular but a strong southerly wind this afternoon discouraged many people from swimming. Only two accidents had been reported tonight. Neither of these was serious and Otago so far can record its fourth successive fatality-free Labour Day week-end.