THE WEATHER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1248, 30 January 1896, Page 37

THE WEATHER.

Sydney, January 21. The high temperature of the last week doubled the mortality in the city and suburbs The largest number of burials took place on Wednesday, when eighty corpses were interred. The bulk of the deaths were those of infants and old people, but there were also a large number of deaths of persons in the prime of life, resulting from sunstroke and heat apoplexy. It is still raining in Sydney and the coastal districts, and the atmosphere is cool. At Bourke the thermometer registered llSdeg in the shade to-day, and two more deaths are recorded. At Wilcannia the record is 116 deg, and two deaths are also recorded, including Mr Thompson, the chairman of the Tipla Land Board. A large number of people are availing themselves of the cheap fares to flee ooastwards. The rain is spreading inland, and there is sign of a change for the better in the sunstricken country. Sydney, January 22. 'At Bourke to-day the record was 120 deg in the shade. Two more deaths are recorded from the heat. A quantity of dynamite in a shed near Rich's store exploded, and the shed was wrecked and the roof- blown 100 ft in the air. A number of persons who were working in the vicinity were knooked off their feet, but none of them were seriously injured. The shook was immediately followed by a downpour of rain and a fierce wind, which lasted only five minutes. A number of trees and buildings were damaged. The explosion id supposed to have been caused by the heat. At Brewarrina, 51(5 miles north-west from Sydney, and about 75 miles east from Bourke, the thermometer registered 117 deg to-day, and it was 109 deg at midnight. Several deaths have taken place. Sydney, January 23. In view of the alarming- mortality from the heat, the Board of Health has telegraphed to all towns where the thermometer is at 100 and over instructions as to the treatment and prevention of sunstroke. To-day's country records are : —Nymagco, 121 deg ; Wilcannia, 120"5deg ; Brewarrina, 119 deg; Broken Hill and Bourke, llodeg ; Wagga, llo'Sdeg. Ten deaths are ?;coorded in Mount Brown district, five at Brewarrina, and three at Broken Hill, and many isolated cases are recorded, especially in the case of children. Sydney, January 25,. A great fall in temperature was reported last night in the Western districts. The southerly gale brought up good rain.

The first news was from Wilcannia, at 4 o'clock, where a terrific dust storm made the sun invisible for the first time for weeks.

Bourke experienced a great downpour of rain an hour later.

The gratitude of the inhabitants was unbounded, and many actually delighted in getting drenched to the skin. Last week 43 deaths were recorded in the Parramatta and Granville suburbs, as the result of the excessive heat. Syd>'e .., January 2G. Steady rain fell throughout yesterday and to-day. There have been good general rains, a'.u\o.-a the whole' of the interior participating. At many places the change was preceded by violent storms, which did consideiable damage to property. Throughout the country the c\ca,tfc-rato has, been alarmingly high- r.uu far exceeds anything of the kind through disease or epidemic which tV.e uplohy has ever experienced. Two pathetic instances are recorded Bourke. Mrs Wright, while atwvvacv: ho.?. aged husband on his deaUutecYJ booaJP*. seriously ill, and, ah.ovdj; afterward expired." Another. wou,ar n Mry .ciClioysuckle, succumbed, Ut tuo intense h- riat) and her SOn-in-i*vV. wenttoßourko to engage a railway carriage to convey body to Mudgee for burial. After returning home, he had just completed soldering the coffin lid when he was stricken, and died within an hour. The carriage which he had ordered conveyed his body also. Ovav 200 deaths have been recorded in the country alone, Bourke heading the list with 50. Sydney, January 27. Glovious weather, with a cool breeze, was fjxperienood for the holiday in celebration of Day. All the fixtures passed off well.. The principal item was the National Regatta, which brought out a brilliant gathering. Prior to tho change in the weather eight more deaths were reported from Bourke. Brisbane, January 23. There have been many deaths at Tkargomindah from the intense heat. Adelaide, January 23. Great heat prevails in the North, where several deaths have occurred. Melbourne, January 23. This was the hottest day in the city for years. The record was in the shade, and at the Observatory lx*. Til-night in the city there was a blinding dust »torm, but in the evening it was followed rain, which ccwled the atmosphere.

meter registered 134 deg in tlie sun and 90 in the shade at midday. There lias been no rain, except a few drops, for weeks, and the people throughout the district are ciwing out for water. Timaru, January 25. This was a very hot day, and at 1 p.m. the record was lOOdcg in the " true " shade, the highest before known having been 92deg. At 2 p.m., however, a cold breeze sprang up.