Power use soars to record

Press, 3 July 1986, Page 1

Power use soars to record

Electricity consumption in Christchurch hit a record high last evening as Canterbury shivered in a southerly storm. Many high country roads were closed overnight by snow while sleet and hail showers swept Christchurch. The Municipal Electricity Department recorded a peak demand of 390 megawatts, surpassing the previous all-time high of 371 MW, recorded a week ago. The highest demand recorded before then was 366 MW in 1984. The mild winter of 1985 led to a peak demand of only 345 MW. The chief engineer of the M.E.D., Mr Hallett Mace, said the new record was caused by a combination of factors. People were changing to electric heating, taking heed of clean air requirements, and recognising that it was “the cheapest fuel,” he said.

Mr Mace did not expect the high demand to continue today, because of late night shopping, which tended to spread the peak load. However, he expected ripple control water heating cuts to continue throughout the day. Cuts had to be imposed about 7.30 a.m. yesterday and continued all day. Elsewhere, the main effect of the weather was on high country roads. State highway 73 at Porter’s Pass had been closed by snow overnight on Tuesday, opening to traffic at 9.30 a.m. yesterday. Chains were required for all traffic. Warnings that chains were needed were ignored by many motorists, to the annoyance of the Ministry of Works and Development. The resident engineer in Christchurch, Mr Hamish Ballantyne, said that four graders were work-

ing tq keep the road open, but they had to keep stopping to pull cars back on to the road after they had skidded. Mr Ballantyne said that people would never dream of going ski-ing without chains on their cars but were trying to cross the mountains without chains. Even trucks, some with trailers, were attempting to get through without chains. “People should be wellaware that conditions change, almost by the minute,” he said. Blizzard conditions forced the graders to give up the task about 3.20 p.m. and the pass was closed for the night. Graders were also working on the Lewis Pass, and the Inland Kaikoura Road for most of the day. They, too, were closed for the night with snow still falling at dusk. Extreme care was

needed on State highway one between Chertsey and Fairton, where snow and hail combined yesterday afternoon to make conditions treacherous. Ashburton had its first fall of snow for the year. The official 3 p.m. temperature was 2.9 deg. In Methven, there were reports of snow settling between 25mm and 100 mm deep. All schools in Methven closed at lunchtime. At the Botanic Gardens in Christchurch, the 3 p.m. temperature was sdeg„ while the highest temperature recorded yesterday at the airport was 6deg. The southerly blew at 20 to 25 knots for most of the day, the highest gust being 41 knots, recorded just before 2 p.m. The Weather Office is predicting little improvement today with the winds only slowly decreasing, and further rain and hail expected.