HEAVY RAIN AND COLD WEATHER.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12502, 31 March 1909, Page 4

HEAVY RAIN AND COLD WEATHER.

[United Press Association.] - Christchurch, March 30..- --■ Phenomenally -heavy rain fell . all night,. and the city streets are almost all undtir water. Ali traffic is more or. less, impeded. The heaviest rain for 20 years— -3 1-oth inches .in 24 hours — lias 'fallen." Many business places in the low-lying . parts of the : city are flooded, many streets are : impassaole, especially where the roadway is open or recently made' so for laying . the pipes for water - supply. ' The street channels ■' were not equal •to the exceptional. fall..: At 11.15 a.m.---t he. sky was ; broken somewhat,: and tii'e rain has fallen away to a drizzle, > but the indications are still threat--ening. : ■: ■*■* , Blenheim, March ,30. Heavy ram, . accompanied by a "bit- ) terJy cold windy fell yesterday and this" morning. AVhen the clouds lifted there- was a: liberal coating of snow observed on the ranges to the westward of Blenheim. ■- " Carterton, March .30. i Heavy cold rain fell here yesterday 1 and last night The surrounding di's•l tr.tcts show > the effect of the deluge, j Dalefield especially: suffering from ' flooded creeks. The 'water is over the ; road for two feet at places and all the rivers are fairly high. - Gisborne, March 30. Tologa Bay reports that 5J inches of rain fell yesterday. The river is in high flood. Dunedin, March .30." Rain Commenced to fall here early this morning, and continued" almost without intermission all day and evening it, being very heavy in tho afternoon. At present there is little sign of the weather clearing. No ' "material damage has been done so ' far. ' Ashburton, March 30. - ' ' ■• Exceptionally heavy rain commenced to fall yesterday, and contimied^ without cessation to-day,- accomp'an-'". ied by a cold south-west wind, thus ■ subjecting the grain stacks, to a setest. moisture was needed to ."'soften- the ground for plough- „ ing, : the fall has bee ( ii too heavy. Be v sides greatly/ delaying: grain threshing and carting>. it will induce, a very rank growth . of : grass! "Q Snow to ,a depth of- two" inches fell oil the lower .ranges" and immediately . surrounding Country ; up to» 8 o'clrfck _.this rnornirig."' Since Saturday and' up to three o'clock to-day, 3.46. inches • of rain have fallen, two inches of ' thir being since 6 o'clock last, night. : - ; .■.**.: Timaru, March 30. ; The rain which started on Monday night "still continues, thoiigh it shows signs of.- clearing. ..The fall is Jnlly ■ three inches. Various parts oj". the . town arid suburbs are flooded. The • damage, generally, is not serious:, The fall is reported over the . whole '. of. the district. , .The .railway '„ was : damaged where the wash- •' outs were reported last July. The second express going South was. stuck ' up there, and had to wait till 9 p.m. !' for the express from the South, when s it exchanged passengers, and- came \ back to Timaru. It arrived here at 11 % o'clock. ■■-. Tb.er.4 was a great. deal of 'i water overthe flat' country: m the' \ Scuth Waimate Valley. A heavy sea I was running all day, but no damage | was done. The rivers are rising, and heavy freshes are expected' to-night, . through the snow on the ranges being \ reduced. .