THE RAIN

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 138, 5 March 1908, Page 8

THE RAIN

OVER THE BY-WASH. WAINUI'S RAPID CONVALESCENCE. Tile trees, the flowers, and the everlasting hills are visibly brightening under the v beneficent influence of the soft, soothing t ra ' n ! which has been falling intermittently ~ since Sunday night. If those who know best k wei'o asked what class of rain, would he B most beneficial after the pronounced drought 3 of the past three months they would have t nominated the light, warm showers that ] have descended, over tho district during tho 3 past day or two in a kind, caressing manner, . that seems like an effort to make amends , for their long absence. Tho rainfall in the 5 city has not been heavy, the rain gaugo at Mount Cook having registered 13, 16, and l 12 points .for the past three days, which is ; altogether too light for suburban residonts ; who depend on their roofs to catch the house-. • hold supply of' water. Fortunately the rain has beon heavier and ■ more continuous at Wainui, arid by yesterday morning the lovel of the water in the 1 basin had iriscn to within five inches of .the by-wash. The clouds still brooded heavily over tho Waintii 'hills yesterday, and it is 1 confidently expected that by this' morning tho jivater will once more be flowing over the by-wash. The rain has been light at -Karon,\ and so far there has been' no appreciable increase in the water stored behind the old and new dams. ■ ; V ; . REPORTS FROM CANTERBURY. . , (BY* TELEGRAPH.—rRESS ASSOCIATION.) Christchurch, March 4. _ Records kept at the Christchurch Magnetic Observatory show that the rainfall last month was ,042 in., rain having fallen: only on February-1. . ,-i ; Welcomo rain continued with little intermission yesterday.'- ( Lawns in tho city and suburbs, which four months past have been brown patches, visibly freshened, and gardens everywhere present a wealth of. foliage again. . Tho,day. was ." muggy," but" the ovening was. delightfully mild,'and in the streets'large pools of water testified to the gratifying-.'amount of rain that had fallen.--It has been raining incessantly,- though not heavily, since daylight', and is still raining. ;• ; Lincoln meteorological records show that the rainfall from November to February inclusive was 2.31 in., with 16 wet days. The average for the same period for 25 years is_7,72in., and 38 wet days. . November, 1907, and" 1908, 'were the lowest on record. • .. . ' • It- is reported that 10in. :of rain fell at Mount Cook Hermitage during a nor'wester.. . .. • ' . ; WANGANUI RIVER RISES. ' ~ . . Wanganui, March 4./ Heavy rainfall has been experienced ov'or all tlie Waiiganui JRiver' watershed, -with the result that the. water' has risen two feet at Pipiriki, thus putting an end-to,difficulties experienced ,in ; navigating the upper reaches owing to the low water in the' .river. , SOAKING. DRIZZLE AT,BLENHEIM. , ' , : Blenheim, March 4. Five hours.'-soaking drizzle has fallen, with tho prospect of more. The absonco of wind makes-the Tainfall much more valuable. It is expected the rape and turnip seed and grass will quickly respond .to.tho raiii, the ground •being warm. The prospects of winter. feed' are,' therefore, fairly good. . " - IN OTHER DISTRICTS, (nr TEi.EOßAru—srECiAr. coimEsroNnr.NT.) ■ Masterton, March 4. .The drought apparently dies hard. Rain has fallen, and is continuing to fall, but in such miscroscopic 'volume, and followed ~qn each ,' occasion,, by'.such torrid' spells,' that people.cannot mako.their minds ensy as"to' whether the dry season really is passing,,, to be recorded in history) and one day to , be remembered by ourselves as the oldest inhabitant, as absolutely the driest season over experienced in New Zealand. The lowlands of the Tararuas and the Rimutakas are now getting- a good share of moisture, but : farmers report that on; tho East Coast tho ; Maungarakis have so far escaped the rain. ' ' 1 ■ Nelson, March, 3. There is at last every sign of a, break in : the weathor. Some heavy showers havo ' fallen, and there is a light and almost con- • tinuous drizzle to-day, with heavy mist hanging low over tho .hills. .Although the Nelson l district, has 'more than a'fair share of sunshine at all times, the average rain- ' fall is heavy, and the present drought has been more-severely felt than any for many years past. Tho following figures will give some : idea of- the condition' of things, when it is i remembered that tho two previous summers 1 have been regarded ,as particularly, dry • — i January,—l9oß, nil; 1907, 488 (.points; ] 1906, 333 points. February. —,' 1908, 10 points; 1907, 235 points; 1906, i 187 points. The sunshine, record for last month was 239 hours 40 miiiiites. • j

(BT TEWGItAMI.—PKESS ASSOCIATION.) New Plymouth, March 4. Bountiful warm rain has fallen over the provinco intermittently during tho past few days, and the country has made a remarkablo response, ; tlio prospects of winter feed ill fair quantity being now good.' The da'ily; shrinkage in the milk supplies recorded last month has ceased; and most factories-report slight increases., . V* . , \ Shannon, March 4. Heavy showers, of rain still continuo io fall, and the! Manawatu Paver is regaining its .normal'level. ': . , ', . Palmerston North,"March 4. Heavy rain, set in to-night. Farmers statethat the milk supply lias slightly increased since the recent rains, but it is expected that tho tests will; bo lower- Already the effect caii be noticed' upon the grass. .