BOISTEROUS WEATHER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19001, 25 October 1923, Page 8

BOISTEROUS WEATHER

GALES IN THE NORTH. HEAVY DAMAGE IN MARLBOROUGH. MAN KILLED BY FALLING TREE. (Pee United Press Association.' BLENHEIM, October 24. A terrific gale was experienced in tho Havelock district last night. Trees were uprooted and fences damaged. At Wakamarina a tree was blown down, killing a man named Gardiner. No details are to hand. HEAVY RAINFALL. 512 POINTS AT ARTHUR’S PASS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, October 23. Yesterday afternoon and throughout the night a north-westerly gale blew' here. Gardens suffered, but no serious damage has been done, and this evening the gale appears to have ended. A heavy sea has been running in Cook Strait, but the Maori, however, made a good trip from Lyttelton. Though half an hour late in sailing, she got into port at 7.25 this morning. For tho past 24 hours the rainfall at Wellington was 39 points at Wanganui 30 points, al Westport 105 points, at Greymouth 226 points, at Otira 470 points, aiid at Arthur’s Pass 512 points. It was snowing at Arthur’s Pass, the Hermitage, and Pembroke at 9 o’clock this morning. Last night’s gale blew' several sectors of the opal glass out of the new clock that is being erected in the Town Hall tower. This is the second occasion on which this has happened. Tho dials are 11 feet in diameter, and it is now evident that they will have to be strengenthed in some way. CENTRAL OTAGO REPORTS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) CROMWELL. October 24. For several days the weather has been both unsettled and unseasonable, varying from heavy males to cold storms, with snow on the mountains ’and light rain on the lower levels. So far it has been a comparatively dry spring, but tho crops and pastures are in good order. A steady warm rain would do much good. QUEENSTOWN. October 24. Tlie dry spell of weather broke on Monday night, following on a north-west gale, rnd rain has fallen at intervals ever since. The rain was very heavy to-day, and it wa s accompanied bv snow. Tho weather has turned cold, with a good snrinklimr of snoiv on the mountain tops. Tlie rain is very acceptable, but the lambing has been affected.

LOCAL CONDITIONS. A HEAVY DOWNPOUR. The mild heat, wave which has been experienced since the beginning of the week was brought to a sudden conclusion early yesterday evening bv an exceptionally heavy downpour.—the heaviest rain which has been experienced since the floods of April and May. The first shower set in about 4.30 pm., and soon the city streets were covered ■with pools of water. A little later the rain fell even more heavily, and continued pouring for several hours. A fresh north-east wind prevailed during the morning, but it veered to the southwest, in the late afternoon, and the weather beeamo very cold. The 'barometer fell steadily yesterday.