Sunshine After Storm

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30947, 31 December 1965, Page 1

Sunshine After Storm

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Dec. 30. Summer sunshine returned to most of New Zealand today and areas hit by gales, low temperatures and snow yesterday mopped up the damage and restored normal communications.

Hundreds of people stranded by the almost total closing of air routes yesterday went on their way today. Power and telephone services in many areas were restored after power board and Post Office gangs worked late last night. The south-westerly storm which lashed the southern coast for four days has blown itself out, but the Weather Office reports another depression centred near Tasmania is moving east towards New Zealand.

It was fine today along the country’s east coast from Gisborne to North Otago, and sunshine over inland Southland removed the last vestiges of yesterday’s snow. Gore residents today said there had been no snow in the town at this time of the year since a light fall on Christmas Day 40 years ago. A trail of battered gardens and smashed trees in Southland and Otago remained today, and temperatures were still below average. Invercargill had some hail this morning.

Most holidaymakers throughout both islands had a welcome change to sunshine today, however, even if temperatures were not high. Except for yesterday’s high wind, Wellington’s weather has been the best in New Zealand so far in the holidays. A meteorological officer said today that it seemed Christmas was often the end of the disturbed weather conditions

which tended to accompany springtime, when the atmosphere was warming up.