Heavy Rain Ends Winter Drought In Canterbury

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30499, 22 July 1964, Page 1

Heavy Rain Ends Winter Drought In Canterbury

The winter drought in Canterbury was broken yesterday by fairly widespread steady rain. In Christchurch slightly more than lin fell. In spite of the unexpected downpour, the rainfall to date this year—B.96in—is still little more than half the total at the same time last year.

Yesterday’s rain was the heaviest in Christchurch since May 24 when 1.35 in fell. Up to 6 p.m. yesterday 103 points were recorded at the weather office at Harewood.

Although widespread south of Banks Peninsula, the rain was not as heavy in North Canterbury. However, farmers consider that the rainfall throughout the province will encourage appreciable pasture growth. The West Coast received the heaviest rainfall yesterday. At Hokitika 1.75 in fell. At the other centres rainfall figures were: Oxford, .87in; Rangiora, 1.12 in; Loburn, .58in; Sheffield, lin: Ohoka, 1.40 in: Charteris Bay, .75in: Lyttelton, lin.

The cause of the rain was a small low pressure centre, north-east of Christchurch, which provided a moist easterly flow down the eastern side of the Southern Alps. While rain fell on the plain, snow fell over much of the

main divide and high Canterbury foothills. By 9 a.m. yesterday Lake Coleridge had I.sin of snow, while at the Hermitage it was lying to a depth of 9in. Snow also fell during the day at Otira, in the Lewis Pass, and in the hills above Fairlie. The weather is expected to change back to the westerly conditions today. Rain commenced in Waimate in the early hours of yesterday and at 2 p.m. the total fall was .89in. Rain was still falling steadily in the early evening. Heavy rain which started during Monday night and continued throughout yesterday in the Temuka district, quickly dispelled any ideas that there could be a dry period for the coming spring. The rain which followed frosts of 19 deg. last Sunday and 14deg. on Monday morning, brought more than one inch to the Temuka Borough by 9 o’clock yesterday morning and there were heavy showers throughout the afternoon. Heavy Snow Up to 6 p.m. yesterday 18 inches of snow had fallen at the Hermitage, Mount Cook, and it was still snowing steadily at a late hour. The manager of the hotel (Mr L. S, Dennis) said that the Ball Hut road was closed, and bulldozers would be required to open it. “It is the heaviest snowfall for several years," Mr Dennis said.

There was some disruption to traffic. The Pukaki-Hermi-tage highway was covered and was being graded continuously by the Ministry of Works.

The Mount Cook company's DC3 flight from Christchurch through Mount Cook to Queenstown went direct to Queenstown. It was snowing steadily, with no visibility and seven inches of snow on the runway.

“The passengers went out by coach,” Mr Dennis said. “There is no sign of a let-up, and there could be another foot or two of snow before morning.” Timartr, which until 9.30 a.m. on Monday had 8.67 in of rain compared with 20.77 in for the same period last year, was saturated today. Half an inch of rain fell to 9.30 a.m. From 930 a.m. until 4.30 p.m. there was a further 63 points, making a total since the rain began of 1.13 in. The farm advisory officer, Department of Agriculture, Fairlie, Mr D. G. Reynolds, said the district had emerged from a six months drought. The Ministry of Works resident engineer for South and Mid-Canterbury (Mr E. R. L. O’Toole) said that the opening of the Pukaki-Hermitage route was “top priority.” The highway was graded by early afternoon when traffic was getting through, but further snow falls had since been reported.

“Every effort is being made to keep the road open.”