WEEK-END DRIZZLE

Evening Star, Issue 23836, 17 March 1941, Page 6

WEEK-END DRIZZLE

WATER SUPPLY BENEFITS RAIN GENERAL IN OTAGO Intermittent drizzling rain, inter*' spersed with occasional heavy showers*, prevailed over most of the Otago pro* vince—in fact, most of the eastern dis-« triots of the South Island—during week-end. The fall, which came fromf, the north-east, was very;. -that some district experienced a siderable rain, while others had no mot® than a misty visitation. The weights of the rain about Dunedin seems tq, have varied from Jin to about ‘lJia/. depending on the locality. While of . great benefit to pasture* and gardens, the rain has' been of pari ticular value in that ft.-has been re*, sponsible for a decided, easing of that, water shortage. At 8 a.m. to-day theQ amount in storage had, .increased tqjg 60,756,000ga1,this being -the highest® level - since March ,1. The gain ovetg thewtsek-end amounted to 4,400,000gaU| and it can be stated that the full effect®? of the rain have not yet been felt, sof that there is every reason to belierq\ the gain will be still' greater. The;! draw-off over the three days since Fri* ? . day morning averaged 3,400,000ga1, satisfactorily low average. The- gain! in any one reservoir was moat markedi at Sullivan’s Dam, where 2,Boo,OOOgaJfl have been added' to the storage _ since ’ Friday. ' lb is now. felt that_ Sullivan’s; will be able to look after itself fronts now on, and water previously- run in’ from Deep Stream will now be diverted)!;' to Ross Creek,

Although the situation has , showai such a marked improvement the cits» engineer (Mr S. G. Scoular) stated this; morning that there can as yet be n®question of easing any : of the restrict tions, but he expressed, the belief that 1 the outlook was now, more optimistic*.' As an indication of the varied natures of the rain the readings taken at th®' respefctive reservoirs ; axe, .interesting*. At Ross Creek the week-end' fall to_S., a.m. to-day amounted 'to .-.SSin, whilai; at Whare Flat it was down to .SSin* At Sullivan’s, Dam it %as as hgh. ai l l.lSin. At Deep Stream the fall war .76in to 8 o’clock last'night. PASTURES BENEFIT. The fall appears to have been some* ■ what heavier inland than on; the coast, and the Maniototo Plains district had a fairly good soaking. Further south the'fall' was also heavy. Northern, drought areas benefited to some extent, but the fall northwards appears to have been greatest, in the Waitati areai. where it was continuous yesterday ancr at times very heavy; In the Waikouaiti district 400 gal tanks half to one-third empty were filled to'.overflowing lath last evening,. but at Waitati emptyj 400 gal tanks were ! filled during thai afternoon.

Wherever the rain has fallen, how# ever, it can only be looked upon as ae boon. Pastures'should quicklyrespoucj to the showers* and a marked improve-* ment in winter feed conditions: should soon be noticed. The situation ing the milk supply should also, -imJ prove, although it is. admitted that* rather more rain than has so Tar fallen!: is required to bring about a complete' recovery here. " •

There have been no road interference* because of the rain, the Automobile AsJ sociation reporting this morning. only the Leith Valley-Waitati road wass in a state _ calling for any care, on th# part of drivers. '