THE WEATHER.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVIII, Issue 18414, 21 May 1920, Page 4

THE WEATHER.

COLDEST SNAP THIS SEASON. The oddest southerly of the season to date was experienced yesterday. The mild evening on Wednesday gave place after midnight to a sou’-wester, which bad increased by 2.30 a.m. to a gale. Heavy rain 1 followed, accompanied by a decided drop in the temperature. Snow fell in the back country, and yesterday morning was lying on the upcountry plains. There was a slight fall on the Cashmere Hills. During the day the wind moderated,.though the conditions continued very wintry. A real touch of winter was experienced in North Canterbury yesterday. In the early hours of the morning a bitterly cold westerly wind sprang up, accompanied by rain on the plains and snow on the hills, the ranges from Oxford to Mount Grey being thickly coated down to the level. The clouds broko before the-morning was far advanced. but the cold wind continued throughout the greater part' of the day. As a result of the snow on tire ranges, severe frosts may now be expected. A variety of weather was experienced at Ashburton during Wednesday night, when there were four degrees of frost, followod by a violent storm of wind and scattered showers of rain. The Mount Somers train arrived yesterday morning with the tops of the carriages covered with two inches of srow. The weather all along the foothills was very boisterous during the night, and at -’avlight the flat country at Mount Somers, Staveley and Alford Forest was covered with snow to a depth of aboutthree inches. Tbe snow reached to about six miles down .from the base of the hills, and there was a heavy fall on the ranges.

SNOW ON AKAROA HILLS. [From Ocr Cora vspondvnt. ] AKAROA, May 20. After a few days of fine weather a cold south-w'est gale sprang up last night, with a heavy squall of hail and rain. This morning the hiHs around the harbour were well coated with snow. It was stormy all to-day, with a very rough sea.