HAIL AND SNOW

Hawera Star, Volume L, 28 July 1930, Page 6

HAIL AND SNOW

A WHITENED COUNTRYSIDE,. WINTRY VISITATION. For the first time this season in Hawera hail was lying thickly in the town and over the countryside this morning, the result of a heavy fall during last night. There was evidence of the severity of the weather and of the low temperature reached. Mixed, with the hail was a quantity of snow, but it did not last long on the ground.

Messages from Ohangai and Meremere show that snow mixed with hail fell heavily last night. An Ohangai resident who hails from the .South Island remarked that this was the first time she had seen snow since she left Otago a. .good few years ago.

At Meremere there was quite a heavy fall of snow and the children were celebrating the event by a battle royal of snowballing. The low hills of the outlying districts were covered with a white mantle and looked very pretty and picturesque in the morning sun.

Bound Alton and Hurleyville the snow lay thick, and it was even heavier across the river, in the Otauto district. A curious happening is reported from Mr. A. Pearce’s property, which borders the river on the west, in that there was practically none on that side, while on the other, Mr. J. Ryan’s farm, in almost identical conditions, a heavy fall was experienced. The view at Dawson Falls this’morning was exceedingly (beautiful, said Mr. .T. P. Murphy in reply to a question, with icicles hanging everywnere and the trees glistening white m the morning sun.

Mr M urphy reports also that the temperature was down to 28 degrees during the night, the lowest he has experienced since lie came to the Falls. But there was little or no .snow 'round the hostel. Lower down the mountain there was a- fairly heavy fall, about thiiee l inches deep, round the reserve gate. Lowgartli advice is that there was fairly heavy snowfall during the night. The manager of the factory .reported that some of the children ware enjoying, a' bout of snowballing and] that there was a slight fall during the morning. A further full of snow was reported at- 10 a.m. this morning, and at Haiwcra at 11 a.m. faintly discernible' flakes could! 'be seen descending prior to a. sharp patter of hail. Old residents of the; district recall that no appreciable visitation, of snow has been experienced, in Hawera, itself since the storm of 1897.

Farmers report that, the first of the lambs of the new season have appeared, and that the weather, though exceedingly cold, has not been the cause of any fatality amongst the newcomers. The cold, unless accompanied by rain and wind, does not do much harm to the lambing.

FALL AT MASTER,TON. j fßy Telegraph—Press Association.) MASTED,TON, .July 28. A lieaw fall of sn ow_ was experienced in Mas ter ton this morning and the town and oountrv were covered in a white mantle in olios deep. During the night snow, hail and rain, fell and wind blew with hurrincane force at times.