WELCOME RAIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22504, 23 February 1935, Page 18

WELCOME RAIN

HEAVY JALL THROUGHOUT OTAGO COUNTRY THOROUGHLY SOAKED The light rain which fell on Tuesday evening caused people to think that the drought from which Otago, in common with other parts of the Dominion, had suffered during the past four months, had at last broken, but when Wednesday dawned fine and sunny it appeared that another dry spell had commenced. Early yesterday morning, however, the sky became overcast and by 4 o’clock a steady rain, driven up from the south, was falling.’ From that time jt continued unabated until nearly 6 p.m., and. the parched gardens in the city and surrounding districts received a welcome soaking. The fall was widespread, practically the whole of Otago benefiting from the heavy downpour, and the effect on the dried-up country will be a valuable one indeed. To the farmers the rain will be an undisguised blessing, for crops of all descriptions were almost at a standstill and in many, areas blight had attacked the turnip crops. , The rainfall locally was heaviest in the north end of the city, the gauge at the Botanic Gardens registering 1.29 in for the 24 hours ended at 5 p.m. yesterday. The instrument, on the roof of the Daily Times Office showed a reading of .94m at midnight, while at the pumping station at Musselburgh. 1.04 in was registered’up till 9 p.m. While it is yet too early to say by how much the greatly depleted reservoirs will have been replenished, there is no doubt that the rain has had an extremely beneficial effect. Up to 9 o’clock yesterday morning .47in had been recorded at the gauge at Ross Creek, .46in at Whar e Flat, and .46in at the Sullivan Dam. Rain fell steadily during the day, and when the records are taken this morning a much-improved position should be in evidence at the reservoirs. Prior to the rain the reservoirs contained 58,196,000 gallons of water., COUNTRY DISTRICTS BENEFIT The widespread nature of the fall is illustrated by the fact that at Balclutha heavy-rain was experienced on Thursday .night and yesterday, the ground receiving a thorough soaking, while _ reports from Roxburgh show that 60 points had fallen by 9 a.m. yesterday, and there was then every prospect of its continuing. At Middlemarch the rain was particularly heavy, 2.28 in falling by 1.30 yesterday afternoon, and reports from Clyde indicate that the country in that district had also benefited. Rain was reported as far north ns Waimate by mid-day yesterday, and it was working further up the country to the parched Canterbury Plains. Early yesterday morning_ the Taieri Plains commenced to get their drenching, and as pastures there had suffered considerably from the prolonged dry spell and turnip and mangold crops had been at a standstill, the soaking will be particularly welcome. The shortage of green feed has had an effect on the milk supply, which should be somewhat improved as a result of the rain. The secretary .of the Otago Motor Club reported last night that all roads in Otago were clear, but that motorists on the Pigroot road should exercise caution near the Shag Valley Station, as a culvert there was being repaired and the rain had caused a cessation of operations. Apart from a short shower about 9 o'clock last night, there was no further rain after 6 p.m., at 11 o’clock the sky being clear. STEADY FALL AT CROMWELL RIVER NOT AFFECTED. (Special to Daily Times.) CROMWELL, February 22. There has been a decided change in the weather during the last few days. First there were scattered showers, which were followed by a steady fall this morning. For a short period at 8 a.m. there was a very heavy fall, and the water channels in the main street were taxed to carry off the storm water, which in one building entered a cellar. Fortunately this did not continue for long. The rain has continued steadily throughout the day, with no sign at present of clearing. Th«?re is no immediate prospect of-high rises in the river, and the fall generally should be of immense benefit to the country. - .