LONG DROUGHT ENDED

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 21 February 1935, Page 4

LONG DROUGHT ENDED

Welcome Rain Falls in all Parts of Taranaki

OVER ONE INCH IN 24 HOURS

REFRESHING TO PASTURES

Breaking one of the longest droughts in the history of Taranaki, welcome rain commenced at about 3 p.m. yesterday and has continued almost incessantly ever since. The fall during the latter part of the afternoon was particularly heavy and more than three-quarters of an inch fell before 8 p.m. During the present month there has been only 1.92 inches of rain and most of that fell yesterday. The rainfall for the year amounts to four inches.

The rainfall was heralded' by heavy blustering wind, at times out in the open country reaching almost gale force. The atmosphere yesterday was oppressively hot, and the humidity was not relieved by the downpour. During the night conditions were such as to make sleep almost uncomfortable, but with the dawn the temperature had fallen from 75 and read 68 degrees at 9 a.m. to-day.

The barometer at 9*~a.m. yesterday stood at 29.58. while at noon it had fallen to 29.53. Despite the rain, it rose during the night and read 29.64 at 9 a.m. to-day, rising again to 29.65 at noon. The rainfall from noon yesterday to a similar time to-day was 1.06 inches. Being general throughout Taranaki the rain is more than welcome and will have the effect of assisting in maintaining production. One famier stated this morning that he was getting at the end of April last year as much milk as his herd is bringing in at present and that within a fortnight the herd would have been dry. The rain has definitely forestalled that calamity and given farmers a renewed confidence in the prospects of the remainder of the season.

In North Taranaki the rain was also heralded by a northerly wind, with a feeling of moisture in it. The wind later in the day changed to the northeast and shortly before midday rain began to fall at New Plymouth, developing into drenching showers between 7 and 8 p.m. At North Egmont the rain started at 1.30 a.m. yester-

day and fell heavily throughout the day. A peculiarity _of the fall there was that it was apparently entirely local, during the morning at any rate. It was not until later in the day that rain began to fall on the lower levels. The rainfall at the reservoir at Lower Mangorei yesterday between 11 am. and 9.20 p.m. was 1.95 inches, the major part falling in the late afternoon and early evening. Sports fixtures and picnics arranged for yesterday were affected by the rainfall, but there were no complaints forthcoming from the participants, for the need of rain was universally recognised.

DROUGHT ENDS IN MANAWATU-

(By Telegraph—Press Tssomtion.)

FEfLDING, To-day

A definite ehd to the longest and driest summer for 35 years came when rain began last night. The steady fall still continues over the whole district which is now thoroughly soaked. The temperature is still warm and good growth in the pastures is expected before the winter comes. Dairy farmers, especially on the coastal side, have had a bad time as the pastures disappeared in the long dry spell, and it is too late now to recover the normal milk flow.

PALMERSTON STREETS FLOODED

PALMERSTON N., To-day.

Following another dry spell, heavy steady rain set in last night at ten o’clock and continued throughout the night and this morning. A heavy downpour flooded the city streets, causing inconvenience to shoppers ifld business premises. The total fall to 9 a.m. was HO points. Much more has since fallen. The rain will do an immense amount of. good to the countryside, much of which missed the downpour of February 9..