VARIED WEATHER

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25085, 26 December 1944, Page 4

VARIED WEATHER

SUNSHINE AND RAIN THE LONG WEEKEND SUNDAY CROWDS ON BEACHES Changeable weather varying from heavy downpours of rain and overcast skies to bright and sunny ideal holiday conditions was experienced in Auckland during the long week-end. The best of the three days was Sunday, when the sun shone from an almost cloudless sky. Most people sought to spend the day out of doors and the favourable afternoon tide attracted the usual crowds to beaches. The North Shore was again very popular and traffic on the ferry steamers was heavy, while eastern beaches were also well patronised. A downpour of rain Commenced at about midnight on Sunday and continued through the early hours of yesterday morning, the rainfall for the '24 hours ended at 9 a.m. yesterday being .36in. In spite of a threateningly overcast sky yesterday morning a number of people left to spend the day at Waiheke Island. Their optimism was justified, for no rain fell and later the skies cleared for an afternoon of ideal weather. . • ~ , Christmas Day is not usually a day of great outdoor activity, the majority of people choosing to spend it at home quietly digesting the unusually large amount of food generally consumed 111 the course of festivities. Yesterday was not an exception. Nevertheless a fairly large number of people were transported across the harbour to North Shore beaches, while other transport services carried holidaymakers to other reßorts. The numbers transported, however. were not comparable to those of Sunday nor to the usual number carried on other summer holidays. Temperatures during the week-end wero warm, but there were light to fresh breezes which swung round from northerly to westerly and southerly quarters during the three days. The maximum temperatures recorded were 73, 74 and 76 degrees on Saturday, Sunday and yesterday respectively.