STORMY DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27198, 29 September 1949, Page 6

STORMY DAY

Heavy Snow Sn South Otago BOISTEROUS WEATHER IN CITY Otago and Southland were swept by snowstorms yesterday morning, and the falls in several parts of South Otago have been described by local residents as the worst in 15 or 20 years. Heavy lambing losses are feared in the province as a result of the severe winter conditions which have been experienced during the past three days, and unless there is a warm change in some of the less affected areas losses may also occur there. All main roads in Otago are passable, but several county roads in the back country will be out of use until they are graded to-day. All air services to Invercargill were out of order because of the conditions at the southern aerodrome, but all northern services were run to schedule. Though no snow lay in the city, Dunedin experienced a stormy day, with a strong south-west wind and occasional snow and hail showers interspersed with periods of bright sunshine. A few patches of snow could be seen on Flagstaff ans Mount Cargill. ' The country from Gore to Balclutha was in the direct path of the storm. Snow began falling in the early hours of yesterday morning. It was preceded by hailstorms on Tuesday night, and all rivers in the province are running high There was a gradual easing in the intensity of the falls from Balclutha to Milton and from there to Dunedin the result of the storm had vanished by mid-day yesterday.

Farmers in the South Otago district told the Daily Times that yesterday's fall was the worst they had experienced in 15 years or more. They thought that if the cold snap continued, iosses of lambs would be heavy. Snow fell to depths varying from three inches in Balclutha and Kaitangata to eight or nine inches in the higher country about the Clutha Valley, Clinton and Owaka. Several minor power failures were caused by the severe snow fall in Balclutha and Owaka. School children in Balclutha did not mind the snow, for they were given a half holiday. Trains were not affected by the falls and services were run to time. Although a section of the Main South road between Balclutha , and Milton was impassable for a short time yesterday morning, graders soon cleared the deeper drifts. The Automobile Association, Otago, reported last night that all main roads in Otago were clear. Country roads about Conical Hills, Tapanui, Edievale and Waikoikoi are still blocked in places by heavy drifts, but graders will be used to-day to clear them.

The West Otago bus became stranded in a deep drift near Conical Hills yesterday. The mails were transferred to a goods train which took them from Waipahi to Edievale. Snow continued to fall last night in the West Otago area and there were indications of a frost.

Central Otago has also suffered, but the falls of snow had not been so serious as those in -'South Otago. Queenstown has had two days of boisterious weather and intermittent snow storms, but conditions cleared last night and gave promise of, a change. The hill country did not receive a very heavy covering, but unless there is a sharp change, it is thought that lambing losses might become serious. The high country about Cromwell received a thick covering on Tuesday night and early yesterday morning, and there were'traces of hail and snow on the low country. Fruitgrowers in the district reported fluctuations in temperature throughout Tuesday night and fruit trees have been damaged by the boisterous conditions. The sudden changes in temperature were general throughout Central Otago., In one place a change of six degrees was noted in half an hour.

The snow has been driven by strong winds in most districts and a recording of over 60 miles an hour was made at the Taieri aerodrome. There was a 30 mile an hour wind blowing on the Invercargill-Dunedin (highway at times during yesterday morning.