WEATHER IN AUSTRALIA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18899, 27 June 1923, Page 7

WEATHER IN AUSTRALIA

GENERALLY BENEFICIAL RAINS. FLOODS IN SOME PLACES., Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright SYDNEY, June 26. The rains are greatly benefiting the wheat and pastoral areas in New South Wales. Heavy falls in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania were attended in some districts by considerable flooding and damage. The greater portion of Queensland has benefited. The coastal districts of New South Wales have so far escaped, though the present indications that they are likely to participate. ' _ In Sydney the consumption of water has for months past been in excess of replenishment supplies, and good rains are anxiously awaited to refill the steadily depleting storage reservoir. A later message states that a stiff south-easterly is blowing, with a rough sea. GALE IN SYDNEY. SMALL STEAMER WRECKED FERRY’S NARROW ESCAPE. SYDNEY, June 26. (Received June 25, at 7.45 p.m.) The gale, accompanied by driving showers, which broke suddenly over the city, continues, the wind at times reaching a velocity of 43 miles an hour. Vessels which are arriving, including the Manuka, report a rough experience, and state that they had a ditiiculty in entering the Heads. The vessels inside Port Jackson also had a trying time while the storm was at its height. The Manly ferry steamer Burrabra, with many passengers on hoard, shipped several heavy seas when crossing the Heads. The seats, windows, and other gear on the top dock were, smashed, and the passengers were swept across the vessel, injuring three of them. There were some narrow escapes from being washed overboard. After this experience the Manly traffic was suspended. The small steamer Balgowrio, timber laden from Bateman’s Bay to Sydney, was driven ashore at Cronulla. The crew, after a thrilling experience, landed safely. The storm caused considerable damage to property in the city and suburbs. A VERITABLE HURRICANE. WARNING OF 1< LOGOS. The gale at its maximum intensity blew at the rate of 70 miles an hour. Many small boats in the harbour were lifted from the water and blown on to the rocks. The Weather Bureau has issued a warning that floods may be expected on the south coast. STOCK PERISH IN SNOW. (Fbom Oub Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, June 21. People in New Zealand who think of Australia as a kind of eternal summer would probably view with some misgiving the news from Aibury this week, that the mountain cattlemen are searching tho Alps near the head of tho Murray for stock caught in tho snow. Many beasts have been in the deco gorges, but at tho time of writing it has been impossible to save them because of the deep snow, banging like a great blanket over tho surrounding country and the swollen rivers. It has been a perilous time also for the search parties. Members _of one party, faced with short rations, and with the spectacle before, them of their horses dying for lack of feed, wore imprisoned for several days in a gully within three miles of a cache in which wove secreted both bread and chaff, but they were unable to reach those commodities so precious at such a moment. It is estimated that nearly ICOO head of cattle, have been lost through the setting in of tho snow season before tho sinek could be removed. Tho adventurous spirits who are out trying to bring succour to their snow-bound stock .and risking their own lives in tho quest, probably fail to .see anv of the charms of nlnin- climbing described in New Zealand literature.