Southerly Storm Brings Coldest Day Of Year

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30535, 2 September 1964, Page 1

Southerly Storm Brings Coldest Day Of Year

Yesterday was the coldest day of the year in Christchurch and throughout much of Canterbury. There was heavy snow on Banks Peninsula and on the foothills, 58 points of rain fell in Christchurch, with a biting south-westerly wind.

Throughout North Canterbury the day was very cold, although rain gauges in the area recorded only minor falls. Sleet and ' light snowfalls occurred in most districts but nothing settled on the ground at lower levels. The minimum temperature in Christchurch yesterday was at 1 p.m. when the thermometer fell to 34 degrees. According to a spokesman at the Meteorological Office at Christchurch airport, yesterday was the first time that dry snow had fallen on the plains since last September.

After a mild night (the temperature at 3 a.m. was 47 degrees) the coldest part of the day was between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Temperatures began to rise gradually throughout the afternoon. Between 7.30 a.m. and 11 a.m. winds of 25 m.p.h. blew with a peak gust of 40 m.p.h. at 7.45 a.m.

Snowfalls were fairly heavy on Banks Peninsula. Snow was down to 1800 ft above Akaroa, to 2000 ft around Lyttelton Harbour. At Arthur’s Pass four inches of snow fell at the top of the pass, and several cars without chains went through to Otira by rail. Reports from North Loburn indicated that Mount Grey got a fairly heavy coating of

snow, but nothing lay on the downs. In Rangiora the temperature did not rise above 45 degrees. At Oxford the weather was clear early yesterday morning, but later it began to rain. Sleet and snow and at least one shower of hail followed later in the day. At Culverden only 18 points of rain was recorded. Snow lay on the ground at Rakaia. By noon four inches of snow had fallen at Methven. Six Inches of snow fell in the Rakaia Gorge area in a few hours. Snow also fell heavily at Kirwee and Hororata. The manager of one station near Rakaia said the snow had thawed rapidly and had not caused any troubles with stock. Lambing was not far advanced in the area, and the storm had been too short for any adverse effects. Another farmer said it was a nasty cold snap. “If it had kept up for any length of time the consequences could have been disastrous for farmers in the middle of lambing,” he said.

Only one or two minor power breakdowns were reported in South Canterbury and these were quickly restored. In one, a branch

of a tree laden with snow broke a line in the Anama district and cut power to about eight farmhouses for about two hours.

The first day of spring was marked by a sharp drop in temperatures in South Canterbury when there were light falls of snow in the foothills and the lower ranges of the district. The heaviest fall of snow was in the FairlieBurkes Pass area where it began falling about 6.30 a.m. and stopped five hours later. In the township 2in to 3in of snow covered the ground. A south-westerly storm which swept across Ashburton county yesterday morning brought snow to the foothills and inland districts and also left a light coating over the plains to within a few miles of Ashburton. Although severe, bringing falls of up to 6in in a few hours, the storm was of such short duration that no major stock losses are expected. Snow fell to low levels in the Athol-Parawa districts of northern Southland yesterday but did not reach flat land.

In parts of central Southland there was some hail and snow on Monday night. A few pre-lamb shorn sheep have been lost but apparently not many.