THE WEATHER.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 14977, 24 April 1909, Page 11

THE WEATHER.

WELCOME RAIN IN CANTERBURY

Heavy rain fell in Christehurch early yesterday morning, and continued with little abatement all day. The rain was accompanied by a bitterly cold wind from the south-west. A fine night on Wednesday in North Canterbury was unexpectedly followed by heavy rain, which commenced at about 5 a.m. yesterday, and continued until the middle of the afternoon. The clouds then broke, and the sun shone for a time, but in the evening rain came on again. In the early morning the weather was mild but towards noon a cold westerly wind sprang up. After three weeks' dry and springlike weather at Ashburton —a decided change took place yesterday morning, when rain commenced to fall from the south-west about si:* o'clock, and continued without a break throughout the morning, I.2in -being registered at the Domain weather station at 2 p.m. The rain will be beneficial, and will replenish water t%nks for household purposes. Rain commenced to fall in Geraldine about 4.30 yesterday morning, and lasted throughout tno day. Beginning in the north-west the wind quickly changed to the south and rain at times fell in torrents. As this is the first rain that has fallen in tho district for fully six weeks, it will be welcomed by farmers..

fPHt Pruss Association.] WELLINGTON, April 23 . The Hutt River was very high to-day Some cattle and sheep from th© upper part of tho Butt valley were washed away by the flood. The gale has played havoc with the telegraph service and linesmen have had to be despatched in all directions and information comes to hand from the Telegraph Department that on most lines both north and south messages are subjected to about two hours' delay. Telegraph communication between Lower Hutt and Silverstream was interrupted during the day, several telegraph poles near Silverstream having been blown down. The Rev D. C. Bates, Government meteorologist, states that the westerly area of low pressure which has lately exerted itself so violently south of Now Plymouth and Napier has been followed by another, a cyclonic area of low pressure which has intensified the weather conditions in the North Island especially, and to-day warnings for northern districts are more ominous of rain, gales and flooded rivers. The lowest pressure reported to-day is at Hokitika, but indications are for a further fall northwards to be followed by a considerable rise everywhere after sixteen hours. The barometer has already commenced to rise in the southernmost districts.

CARTERTON, April 23

AH the rivers ' in the district are flooded, and are mostly over the banks. Hundreds of acres are submerged, but no stock has been lost, and very little damage has been done. The water is now falling, though it is still raining.

Stock in tho lower valleys have all been mustered, and are in safety on the sand dunes and high places.