THE WEATHER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1036, 8 January 1892, Page 25

THE WEATHER.

Most welcome rains have fallen during the past week. Right throughout the greater portion of the North island the country was looking very bare and brown. Feed was getting short. The rain came at a most opportune time. The hay harvest is over and the grain ripening fast. Two days’ steady rain has already made a perceptible difference. Paddocks are once more green tinted, and the fresh grass is growing rapidly. In the South Island the rain 3 have been much heavier than they have been in the North, being accompanied by sharp hail storms. In the Taieri district the rains have proved disastrous to the crops. All over the Taieri (except on the Hilltops) crops may bo seen that have been flattened out as though a roller had passed, over them. Those who had the heaviest crops have fared the werst. (press association.) Ashburton, January 5. Rain continued with but little cessation till 10 o’clock to day. Great damage has been done to the heavy crops, which are laid beyond recovery. The light crops are not much injured. The storm has been very irregular in its effect. In some places three inches of rain fell, in others not half an inch. Nelson, January 5. A heavy storm was experienced here last night, and the residents of the VVaimea describe it as the heaviest thunder storm ever experienced in the district. . The lightning at times was very vivid, while the rain descended it torrents. The Wai-iti and its tributorios rose rapidly, and was soon in high flood. A great deal of damage waa done to the roads and standing crops. The approach to the Wai-iti Bridge, near Fox Hill, was partly washed away, and traffic ia stopped, as a number of small bridges and culverts hava been destroyed. The Midland Railway works at Belgrovo suffered greatly by the flood, and the crops of grain and the hop gardens have been much injured.