SEVERE FROST

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22434, 2 June 1936, Page 8

SEVERE FROST

MANTLE OF WHITE

AUCKLAND'S EXPERIENCE

SHARPEST SNAP OF YEAR The most severe frost this year was experienced in Auckland yesterday. The frost lay thick on lawns and gardens in all parts of the city and suburbs, and, as is often the case, it was followed by a beautifully fine day. At Albert Park the minimum temperature on the grass was 30 degrees. Residents of Mount Eden, .Mount Albert, Western Springs and Kohimararna wore the worst sufferers. One householder in Mount Eden left clothes on the line overnight and found them frozen in the morning, while many taps at first refused to flow. At East Tamaki, where frosts, ato particularly severe owing to the open nature of the country, icicles Gin. long were found suspended from a dripping down-pipe. Waihcko residents were not spared. Ostend was a cheerless place for an hour or two, and even the higher parts of the island were heavily covered with a glistening mantle of white. Many centres throughout the province also experienced the heaviest frost of the year. At Whangarei four degrees of frost were registered. There was a record reading of 16.9 degrees at Morrinsville. Hamilton and Cambridge reported 11 and 12 degrees respectively, while Te Aroha experienced 13 degrees. At Taupo, where 15 degrees were recorded, the country was white until after nine o'clock. During the last fortnight there has been a frost in the Taupo district almost every morning.

DRY MONTH OP MAY CONDITIONS AT WHANGAREI [from our own correspondent] WHANGAREI, Monday An unusually dry May was experienced in Whangarei, only 2.11 in. of rain falling. With the exception of May, 1930, when only 1.63 in. fell, it was the driest May during the past 10 years. Rain fell on 12 occasions last month, but mostly at nights, the days being beautifully fine.

RAINFALL AT HAMILTON LESS THAN TWO INCHES [from our own correspondent] HAMILTON, Monday Only 1.71 in. of rain fell in Hamilton during May, compared with the average for the month of 4.63 in. For May last year a total of 3.93 in. of rain was recorded. The total rainfall for tho first five months of the current, year is 26.12 in., compared with 18.67 in, in 1935.