MELBOURNE FOGS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22767, 29 June 1937, Page 6

MELBOURNE FOGS

SERIES IN JUNE DELAYS ON RAILWAYS USE OF 60,000 DETONATORS [from our own correspondent] MELBOURNE, June 21 Meteorologists will remember thisfe month as one of the foggiest that has ever been experienced in Melbourne—perhaps as the foggiest, for only two more days of fog are required to create a record, and almost a week of the month remains. There have been 16 fogs so far this month. On many mornings serious delays have been caused to shipping, air and train services, and frequently the city has been shrouded until noon. Many fogs have also developed in the evening, causing much embarrassment to motorists and making pedestrians particularly wary. Temperatures in the city have fallen within striking distance of the records of 1866, the year of the lowest known reading —28 degrees. On Sunday last the temperature fell to .'50.2 degrees, and there have been several other readings below zero this month. In country districts much lower readings have been recorded —Kyneton, 24 degrees; Myrtleford and Colac, 28; Seymour and Oineo, 29. About <30.000 detonators have been, used bv the Railways Department this month to combat the abnormal fogs. "Safety first" has been the watchword, and thus many delays and cancellations in the normal services have been inevitable. However, a difficult period has passed without serious accident. In addition to the cost of detonators, the department will be faced with the pay. ment of a substantial overtime bill to members of its staff who have been on duty for long hours to ensure the safety of trains. The fogs have been more or less local to Melbourne. Several mail and passenger aeroplanes were directed by wireless to make landings some distance from Melbourne on several days. On one day this week two aeroplanes landed at Geelong and the passengers were brought to Melbourne by motorcars. Other aeroplanes, travelling from centres on the fringe of the State, almost completed their journeys to Melbourne in sunshine, but were compelled to alight on emergency grounds several miles from the Essendon aerodrome because of the persistence of the fog s over the city.