Hot Day In Canterbury

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31276, 24 January 1967, Page 1

Hot Day In Canterbury

High temperatures and strong north-west winds were reported throughout Canterbury yesterday, and more are forecast for today.

In Christchurch yesterday the temperature reached and stayed in the low 80s; but at Maungati, 20 miles west of Timaru, a reading of 98 degrees was taken at 3 p.m. by Mr R. M. Ford. In Timaru city the maximum was 90 degrees, and at the Timaru Airport at Levels a reading of 92.3 degrees was taken at 2.30 p.m. At the Waimate weather station at the same time the thermometer read 88.8 degrees. In Geraldine it was 86 degrees at 1 p.m. In Greymouth, too, the weather was hot and sunny; but in South Westland there were slips and damage to the

Haast Pass road after 14 inches of rain in three days. Christchurch had its hot test day this year, and the temperature reached 82 degrees at Harewood at 4.15 p.m. In the Botanic Gardens at 3 p.m. the temperature was 82 degrees and the reading on the Government Life building was 85 degrees at 4.30 p.m. The high temperatures, low humidities and strong northwesterly winds have created an extreme fire danger in the Eyrewell, Balmoral, Waipara, and Geraldine forests.

The principal ranger for the Canterbury conservancy of the Forest Service (Mr T. E. C. Bridge) said yesterday that fire crews were standing by and look-outs were keeping a constant watch in case of an outbreak of fire. At 1 p.m. yesterday the temperature at Eyrewell, Balmoral and Waipara was 77 de-

grees. Humidities were down to 26 per cent At 4 p.m. the temperature at Hamner Springs was 81 degrees, at Balmoral 80 degrees, at Geraldine 84 degrees and at Eyrewell 78 degrees. But in Westland the danger of bush and scrub fires was eased by rain during the week-end; between the Fox Glacier and Paringa eight inches fell on Saturday, and there has been damage to the Haast Pass road in this area. Two rockfalls on the coast road between Greymouth and Westport have been cleared by the Ministry of Works. HOTTEST NIGHT Sunday night in Ashburton was the hottest this year, with a minimum temperature of 64.2 degrees, and yesterday the temperature went to 86.2 degrees and was still there at 5 p.m. The strong winds damaged a few power lines, mostly lowvoltage lines in the Rakaia Gorge and Highbank areas, but this damage and minor damage to a few telephone lines, was quickly repaired. However, a bright side of the weather is that it has brought wheat crops in MidCanterbury to the right condition for harvesting. The Canterbury Roller Flour Mill received its first consignments of wheat last Friday, and the manager (Mr N. Lindsay) said the weather during the week-end and yesterday had got the harvest well under way. Many consignments were coming in yesterday. he said. In Waimate there has been an abnormal demand for water from the borough supply, and the Town Clerk (Mr T. R. McFarlane) yesterday urged economy in the use of water to avoid restrictions.