GENERAL RAIN

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 139, 8 March 1929, Page 12

GENERAL RAIN

HEAVY FALLS RECORDED WELLINGTON’S DOWNPOUR WELCOMED BY FARMERS ' In common with most other parts of the Dominion, Wellington has been favoured this week with ' an abundance of -rain, which’is very welcome after the dry spell. , - Between 5.30 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. on Wednesday 80 points of rain was recorded at the Kelburn Observatory, and in another 20 minutes this was increased to a full inch. The hour s downpour was equal to the whole rainfall recorded during February. The rain was very heavy throughout the night, and the fall for the 24 hours ended 9 a.m. yesterday was 2.18iu., making a total for the first six . days Of this month of 3.09 in., which was more by 14 points than the combined rainfall for January and February. The hour’s downpour of 80 points on Wednesday evening was the heaviest recorded in the time since the fall of 90 points in one hour in 1912. lhe total of 3.06 in. for the three days up to 9 a.m. yesterday was exceeded-be-tween December 9 and 11, when 3.98 in. was recorded. In the storm which damaged the Hutt railway line 4.73 in. fell between August 13 and 15: Yesterday morning’s weather reports showed that the rain had been general, with many heavy falls, including 3.67 in. at the Waitom Caves, 3.30 in. at Marumoko (inland from Tolaga Bay), 2.03 in. at Pakihiroa, near East Cape, 3.12 in. at Collingwood, 111 points at Cambridge, 115 points at Farewell Spit, 110 points at Greymouth, and 120 points at Arthur’s Pass. The rain will mean a great deal to the farmers, who had been, getting somewhat anxious about their pastures owing to the dryness of last month. The wet spell during December delayed tne rattenlng of stock owing to the rankness of the feed, but this week’s rain will give a renewal of the growth which had been checked since the end of January. The depression responsible for the unsettled weather this week moved away from the Dominion yesterday. In the morning the. wind backed to southerly all over the South IslaTirt. and the change gradually extended over .the whole Dominion. Last night there were no indications of strong southerlies, and a return to westerly and north-west winds was likely after 24 to 36 hours, with an improvement in weather conditions generally.