COLD IN CHRISTCHURCH

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 December 1926, Page 6

COLD IN CHRISTCHURCH

UNSEASONABLE WEATHER. (Special to “Star.”) CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 2. An equatorial savage on full dress parade, i with beads of perspiration, will tell anyone that all this talk about the earth growing colder is all nonsense, but don’t believe him. Scientists, astronomers, and hot water bottle manufacturers, no matter of what brand, are right as right can be. Ice skating will be the last sports of the human race. If we have to break the ice in the milk jug to-morrow morning,' we will know that the Christchurch Curling Club has not been founded for nothing. It was a close thing this morning, for after all, the difference between milk that flows and milk that has to be broken is only a question of degree. A few people, descended from the Eskimos, braved a cold shower to-day, and shivered and shook, and went to work red-nosed, without acclaim. Each age has its heroes and those of the ice age merely swear and do a freeze. A sou’-wester yesterday and to-day again, has brought all flannel and wools from their moth-ball embalment. Heavy coats and solid footwear make flimsy fashion look foolish. Radiators and fires are busy things. There are no open motor-cars, and the beaches are deserted. Ice, igloos, fur, freezing’, snow, Antarctic, Amundsen, and Polar, are the commonest words in the language. Now and then the anaemic sun blinks jaundice-like through the clouds, then comes gusty rain and wind. A cold wind all the time. That’s in Christchurch. On top of that, a Methven correspondent has thawed out sufficiently to state that 36 points of rain were recorded from Tuesday evening till 9 a.m. on Wednesday; also that the low temperature is more like winter than midsummer. The hills, he says, are covered with snow. Moreover, shearing operations are suspended, and farm work is at a standstill. Heavy snow is still falling on the ranges. With superb irony, he adds, that a spell of hot weather would be welcomed by all.

What’s temperature in Christchurch to-day? Well, does it matter much? The Observatory statistician knows, but we are too cold to ring up.