WEATHER AND CROPS

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 110, 5 November 1915, Page 2

WEATHER AND CROPS

The barometer rose yesterday in most parts of the country, but a decided fall took place in the South last night, and the minimum reading reported this morning is about an inch below normal. Freshes are reported in the West .Coast rivers with rough seas on all the western coast. Southerly winds have decreased, veering by west to increasing northerlies. The forecast to-day is for westerly gales in the north and northerly changing by west to south in the southward of Cook Strait. Squally conditions are probable generally, and there are indications for thunderstorms in many parts of the country. Rain is probable generally and snow on the high country in the Boutli, riveTß flooded in Westland, and very heavy seas on all the western coast. The barometer is likely to fall further, but a smart rise may be expected after fiom 24 to 36 hours'. The District Fields Inspector, at Ash-bui-ton, who has just returned from a two weeks' trip into the country at the head of the Rangitata, Ashburton, and Rakaia Rivers, tokl a Guardian re porter that an early spring had followed a dry winter in that part of the country, and good rains had made vegetation flourish. Dry stock was looking exceptionally well, but lambing was not up to the percentage of late years. In the hailstorm which passed over South 'Canterbury on Tuesday, considerable damage was done to gardens and orchards. v In the Otipua district it was one of the most severe storms ever experienced, and/did immense damage to crops and fruit of all descriptions. At one farm, where the orchard was a pretty sight, many trees were stripped of all fruit and fair-sized twigs were broken off. Many of the stones were as large as bantams' eggs. The storm lasted about twenty minutes.