RIVERLEA.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 6 April 1926, Page 10

RIVERLEA.

(From Our Own Oorresp'oiident). ' : ! METEOROLOGICAL. In spite of the fact that the rainfall for the month of March just closed is slightly above the average for the third month of the year', the weather was really fine, with mostly light winds and fair to fine conditions. The barometer was very steady throughout, and showed very little movement, with or high mean reading as a result. The first .seven days were fair to fine, with no rain, then followed broken weather |to the 15th, with rain falling on four, days. Four good days followed, and then broken weather again, with heavy rain on the 23rd. and the 26th. Another spell, of four fine days saw the month go out with a hurricane and driving rain on the 31st. Wind was mostly light to breeze, with moderate gales on the 10th and 12th. The prepondering. direction .of the wind' was of a, southerly tendency, blowing from there on five days, from S.E. on eight days; S.W. on three days; N. one day; N.W. four' days; W. six days; E. one day and N.E. one day. There were two calm days, and one of these also cloudless. There were in all four cloudless days: There were eight other fine days; seven days were fair; seven were cloudv to overcast and five were quit.? overcast. The thermometer .read pretty jow on one or two nights, but no frosts were recorded, and the 9 a.m. reading ranged from 53deg. Pah. an the. 27th to 66deg: an the 19th, the mean temperature being 59.5. which was 13 degrees higher than that foil March. 3925. The barometer was very steady and never fell below 29.20, which was the reading on the 26th. The highest reading was 29.80 on the 29th, and the mean for the month was slightly above the average, being 3.91 inches on eleven days, against a. previous average of 3.72 inches. The minimum fall was 0.0/ inches on the Bth and maximum 1.09 inches on the 23rd. There, wer e five other days with a preoiiptation of over a quarter of an inch., viz., tire 12th. with 0.78; the 26th. with 0.77; the 31st, with 0.39; the loth, 1 with 0.29, and the 21st, with 0.28. Last yea.r 3.53 inches fell, also o'h eleven days. The wettest March in my records was that, of 1918, when 7.01 inches fell on nine days, with a maximum of 3.42 inches on the 28th. The driest March recorded was in 1917, when only 0.47 inches fell on only two days, six points on the 22nd, and 41 on" the 25th. That is also the driest month ever recorded here. The total rainfall for the quarter ended March 31 was 15.24 inches, which is considerably above the average of 11.81 inches. Last year 10. IS inches fell for the quarter on thirty-seven days. Th's year there have been thdrtv-nine wet days for the corresponding period. PERSONAL. Mr. A. E, Mills left for New Plymouth on Friday and will take up his new position after the holidays. Miss Mo reef aft, our new teacher, arrived on Thursday and coin me need her duties here. Mrs.' E>. Gibbons left for Dunedin a few days ago to visit the exhibition. GENERAL. With the unfavourable change in the weather at the end of last month, and the beginning of this, there has been n sharp drop in the milk supply. Tests are nob yet showing any startling rise, though there has been a. move upwards for some time past. They ranged from 3.6 to 5.2 for the period ended March 3L The ladies of the district, I understand, intend holding a. grand ball, which will be much above the average, on April 23. Boulton’s music has been engaged and the ladies intend providing the supper themselves;' and that at Riverlea always means something special. No efforts are to he spared to make, this the’most succesful ball ever held here. . The proceeds are to be used for the purchase of tablecloths for the .supper room of the hall.