Latest Reports From Various Centres

Northern Advocate, 28 July 1939, Page 2

Latest Reports From Various Centres

Reports from various centres are.— Paeroa.—After many years snow was seen from Paeroa this morning, when all the hills visible from the town were coated. The Coromandel range and hills west of the Hauraki Plains carried much snow today. This was the third occasion on which snow has fallen on the hills during this month, setting a new record. Palmerston North.—A bitter southerly following one of the coldest days in the city for many years, made conditions blizzard-like during last night, at Palmerston North, and snow fell for about two hours, starting at ■ 3 o'clock this morning. Residents woke to find the city under a thin mantle, and the hills as far as the eye could see were similarly coated.

New Plymouth.—Only once in nearly two decades has heavy frost been experienced in New Plymouth such as occurred last night, when the t nnperature on the grass fell to 23 degrees, nine degrees below freezing point. The appearance of this morning’s frost varied with the locality.

Hamilton. —In the Waikato many hills were white tuis morning where snow had never been seen before, but as the day went on the weather improved greatly. It was very cold last night in the district, and five degrees of frost were recorded in the town of Hamilton, with 10 at the Ruakura State Farm.

Gisborne.—“Without precedent,” was the description of the storm in Gisborne this morning, when suburban lawns and gardens were white, and there were even small drifts in the main streets of the town. After falling continuously for nearly three hours the snow ceased shortly after 10 o'clock, and bright sunshine quickly removed all traces of the storm from the town area.

Christchurch. Settlers on Banks Peninsula, less than 50 miles from Christchurch, are in serious difficulties, and many may be isolated for the best part of a week. The main highway to Akaroa has drifts 15 feet deep in places, and many farmers have not received supplies since Friday. Sixty men in a Public Works camp at Duvauchelle had been without food for two days until a launch arrived with supplies from Akaroa this morning.

Dunedin.—At Dunedin, where conditions had been dangerous as a result of frost following severe snowstorms, there was sunshine today. 1 Trams were running on the main lines. However, the railway line north of the city is still blocked at Mount Cargill, and the Transport Board decided today that the Main North Road would be unavailable for traffic over the week-end. The steamer Storm is taking mails north to Oamaru, where they will be transferred to trains.

A New Zealand scientist. Dr. R. R, Nimmo, and his 17-year-old assistant, had their legs broken when a steel plate fell from an atom-splitting machine which was being erected at Birmingham University,