THE PRESS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1982. Clouds and silver linings

Press, 26 October 1982, Page 24

THE PRESS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1982. Clouds and silver linings

Oh what a blamed uncertain thing This pesky weather is; It blew and snew and then it thew And now, by jing. it’s friz. When Philander Johnson penned those lines almost 90 years ago. he might well have endured a holiday week-end such as that just passed. The holiday is over; the bleak weather, according to the Meteorological Service, is not. More rain, wind, and cold temperatures are yet to come. The depression that moved on to New Zealand early on Saturday still dominates the country's weather. Its •arrival brought a complete change to many parts of the country and a bag of mixed blessings as well. Labour week-end is traditionally a time that New Zealanders devote to sport, recreation, and travelling to see friends or relatives. For many the sudden change in weather put an end to such plans. Disruption was widespread and roads were blocked by snow from the Lindis Pass in the south to the Desert Road in the north. Sports fixtures were cancelled. Those in motor camps had a miserable time. The scope for other popular activities such as ski-ing and boating was severely curtailed. The storms that came with the depression led to the rescue of an ocean-going catamaran 30 kilometres from the Lyttelton Heads and are likely contributors to the loss of a light aircraft in Central Otago and to the week-end road toll. On a broader front, the weather again demonstrated its dramatic influence on the

country’s primary industries. The drought in Canterbury and parts of Otago that threatened catastrophe for many farmers may have been broken — but in a way that could still spell disaster for some. The welcome rain will slake the parched earth, especially in the coastal areas and the plains; the attendant cold, sleet, hail, and snow could mean high losses among stock already weakened by lack of feed, particularly lambs and shorn sheep, and especially in the high country. Fruit crops have been damaged by hail storms as far apart as Central Otago and Auckland and even salvable fruit will be reduced in value. The benefits of the widespread rain are not as immediately apparent as the disorder and losses brought by the depression, but they will prove important. Aquifers will be topped up and river flows will benefit when the late snows melt. Once warm weather returns, pasture growth should be marked and may be the salvation of farmers now in dire straits. The rain will bring more immediate relief to country dwellers whose wells have been dry for weeks and who have been relying on water trucked in. The displeasure of a great many people with the cold, wet snap results from the disruption it meant to their leisure. Farmers and horticulturists have suffered more tangible losses but will appreciate the wisdom of the seventeenth century saying: "Cold’s the wind and wet’s the rain, but ill is the weather that brings no gain.”