Cool snap catches many in summer clothes

Press, 14 March 1985, Page 4

Cool snap catches many in summer clothes

After temperatures of more than 30 deg. last week, the sudden cool snap yesterday caught many people off guard — without their umbrellas and wearing thin summer clothing. A spokesman for the Meteorological Service said that an active front had moved north-eastwards across New Zealand yesterday bringing rain to the South Island during the day and over the North Island in

the late afternoon. Temperatures dropped from 20 deg. at 8 a.m. to a low of 9 deg. at 1 p.m. A light dusting of snow fell on the mountains and on the foothills down to 915 m to 1220 m, he said.

A slight hail storm had hit Christchurch Airport late in the afternoon but there had been no report of hail elsewhere, he said. Further reports would probably be made today.

The showers should have cleared from Christchurch overnight to give fine weather this morning, said the spokesman. As an anticyclone in the Tasman Sea moved eastwards to New Zealand, the weather over the rest of the country should clear also, he said. The weather today is expected to be cool at first but sunny later in the day. The maximum temperature is predicted to be 16 deg.