BITTER WEATHER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22775, 8 July 1937, Page 8

BITTER WEATHER

JUNE IN MELBOURNE I FISH FROZEN IN LAKES J * ■ j THICK AND FREQUENT FOGS I [from our own correspondent] MELBOURNE, July x Fogs ami frosts of tinusu.il frequency J have made June remarkable in thV f weather records of Melbourne. Thero I were 20 fogs, compared with the p re . r vious record of 17 in July, 1933, and f June, 1934; and there were 15 frosts I compared with the previous record of I' 13 in June, 1927. The mean minimum I temperature of 37.8 decrees for the I month was also the lowest on record. The month passed with an icy fare- J well yesterday, when the seventh frost ■ in succession froze fish in the lakes at j the Botanic Gardens, sheeted with i ce the still waters of the Kiver Yarra, and caused much damage to plant life. It j is estimated that the cold weather of j Melbourne's chilliest month since l records were noted lias increased the sales of gas by 10 per cent, compared with the normal June sales, and has established an absolute record in the ■ j consumption and generation of electricity. The State's main power station at Yallourn generated an output greater by Hi per cent than the output in June, 1936. j

The thickest fog of the month was tho last one, which occurred on the night of June 26-27. Mrfnv motor-cars, proceeding to and returning from the Sat- V[ urday round of evening functions, wero forced to stop while drivers cautiously j explored the roads ahead. Saturday's ; fog descended early and hundreds Tvere i late for theatres and dances. The fog was the 20th in 26 days,' a frequency which had not been exceeded since John Batman chose the site of Melbourne j 103 years ago.

The most serious result of the fog was the grounding of the cargo steamer ] Iron Warrior near Rosebud, not far j from Port Phillip Heads. The vessel was outward bound from Williamstovro to "Whyalla, South Australia, in ballast. Dense fog was encountered soon after the vessel left port, and the grounding occurred at 5 a.m. The vessel was not. damaged and was refloated under its own power seven hours later. In the inland country districts Juno was a month,even more bitter than

Melbourne experienced. During the cold snap the State's minimum temperature record was broken at Omeo, in Gippsland, where the reading wa3 15 degrees, compared with the previous record of 16.5 degrees, established on July 17, 1888.