GALE AND RAIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14933, 5 March 1912, Page 8

GALE AND RAIN.

SHIPPING DELAYED WAITING FOR FAIR WEATHER. This unpleasant weather which set in on Saturday evening increased to a moderate north-east gale early yesterday morning. Heavy driving rain fell all the morning and occasional showers during the afternoon. The weather on the coast is reported as still very thick, and a fairly heavy sea was running in the harbour yesterday. The boisterous weather interfered with shipping, and the heavy rain in the- morning greatly hampered the loading of vessels, especially the Victoria and Otaki. The Victoria, however, got away for Sydney fairly early last night. Telegraphic advico has been received that the coastal steamer Tasman is weather-bound at Whakatano and the Ngatiawa at Ohiwa. Owing to the unfavourable conditions several vessels are held up in port. Tho barque Helen is waiting, fully loaded, for a favourable wind to sail for Hobart, while the barque Casablanca has been lying in the stream for several days, waiting for a change in tho weather. She is to bo towed to Mercury Kay. The coastal steamers of the Northern Company got away on the usual trips yesterday and lust evening. At a late hour last night the conditions had not improved, rain still falling heavily. During the gale on Sunday night or yesterday morning the launch Coquette dragged her anchor, and some slight damage resulted. '

The passengers and others who were so unfortunate as to bo compelled to visit the railway platform prior to tho departure of the Main Trunk express last evening, were loud in their complaints against the Railway Department in not providing proper facilities for entering the- station. In the dimly-lighted narrow entrances from Queen-street to the station there was a sea of mud and water, J.nd through this the wayfarers had to pass.

The telegraph lines wero working very badly throughout yesterday, as a result of the wet weather. This occasioned considerable 'delay in the transmission of messages. As the evening advanced tho lines began to work better, allowing messages to be transmitted with greater facility.

The rainfall during the past week-end was particularly heavy. From nine a.m. on Saturday till nine a.m. on Sunday .91in were registered at the Albert Park observatory, and from nine a.m. on Sunday till nine a.m. yesterday the fall was .64in, making a total, of 1.55 in for the two days. FARMERS AND THE WEATHER. BURNING OPERATIONS DELAYED. In the course of a conversation with a Herald representative yesterday Mr. A. Schmitt (provincial secretary of tho Farmers' Union) said the wet weather experienced lately had been welcomed by dairy farmers, and a« a result of the rains there was still an abundance of feed for cattle. 'The weather was all that could be desired for the sowing of grass on ploughed lands, and there had lately been an exceptionally heavy demand for grans seed. It was. anticipated that a greatly-increased area would be sown in grass this season. According to district reports the turnip crop was everywhere flourishing, so that it was expected that there would be no shortage of feed for stock during the coming winter. The wet weather had not, however, proved an unmixed blessing to farmers. It is feared that there would be very little bush burning this season, owing to tho continued dampness. Unless there was a sudden spell of dry weather the bush on many thousands of acres would not be burned off. ' Tho weather had also been too wet for chaffing purposes, and t'hero was a shortage of supplies in consequence. There were largo numbers of stacks under cover awaiting tho operations <of the machine. Should fine weather soon intervene there will then be a plentiful supply of chaff.

HEAVY RAIN IN. PAEROA. [BY TELEGRAM.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] }■•■, ;,.•', i \ Pahroa, Monday. The weather:has been moat unseasonable of; late. Yesterday heavy rain,'fell almost continually all day, accompanied by a-high wind. The wind and rain continued throughout last night, but this morning the weather moderated isomewhat. v^No:damage of consequence seems to have taken place, although a few trees and fences were blown over. Sears were entertained yesterday that there would be a flood, but although the river has risen considerably the danger of a flood In Paeroa is over for the present, although the weather is.by no means settled.

. MARAROA DELAYED. , [BY TEl.egbaph.— association.] CHaiSTCHtrncH, Monday. Owirji to .the bail weather the s.s. Mararoa mauo nearly a 20 hours' trip from Wellington to Lyttelton, having left at 11 p.m. on Saturday, and arrived at 6.30 p.m. yesterday.