THE COMING SEASON.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 31 March 1926, Page 10

THE COMING SEASON.

SEVERE WINTER PREDICTED. Those who -have studied New Zealand weather conditions are prophesying a severe winter for 1926. They base their prognostications on the fact that Antarctic air currents are, and have been for some time, much further north than usual and that only occasionally, through, the past summer has the most northerly part of the Dominion felt anything more than the outer fringe, of the winds from the warmer zones toward the equator. It is recognised nowadays that northern New Zealand lies roughly between the aerial circle of almost perpetual westerly winds which dominate Antarctic and sub-Antarctic latitudes, and the 'warm equatorial air currents. These different eircualtions are not, fixed definitely. Sometimes their Antarctic influence moves northward, when we have cold and stormy conditions. Sometimes the tropical influence moves southward, when there are these long, delightful summers and short, mild winters. No one knows, says the New Zealand Herald, what governs these fluctuations. It may be, as some suppose, the gradual accumulation of ice and snow toward the southern pole, and the subsequent breaking up and melting of huge floes, which lower the temperature of the seas; it may be some slight oscillation of the earth on its axis: it may be sun spots, or a dozen- other things which no human being as yet suspects. We have to acknowledge that, even if .we knew the cause of the change of seasons, we could not make our winters or our summers what we want them to be, and we have to accept whatever weather comes to us. But, there is one thing which at least we can do, and that is to prepare for bad weather and take advantage of good weather. - ; • It is the farmer who is most concerned with the weather. A cold, wet winter may cause him serious losses it he .has not made suitable preparations for feeding his stock, and a long, hot Rummer, may be equally as disastrous Fornnatelv, even the worst class of weather we get in New Zealand is not very bad, and, still more fortunately, the preparations needed to meet a cold, wet winter or a hot, drv summer are such as will benefit the faimer and his .stock no matter what weather <•01110 s.