HEAVY SNOW IN CANTERBURY

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1934, Page 6

HEAVY SNOW IN CANTERBURY

SERIOUS LOSSES AMONG LAMBS. WORST FOR SEVERAL SEASONS. By Telegraph—r Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. The worst snow storm experienced during lambing time in North Canterbury for several seasons began this morning early and continued through the day at Cheviot. It was reported that one farmer had lost more than 100 lambs, and . that his experience was by no means singular. At, Hawarden there was sleet and hail and any lambs born during the night were not expected to live. Snow was still falling very heavily in the evening at Waiau and the inland road to Kaikoura was expected to be blocked by drifts during the night. In places where the snow was not so heavy the southwest wind was exceptionally keen and driving sleet and hail was expected to cause heavy mortality in lambs. Clarence Bridge and districts north of Waiau were more fortunate, as not only, has lambing scarcely begun, but the storm had practically blown itself .out/ Cheviot was also fortunate in missing the brunt of the storm as it passed more inland and very little snow fell in the township. In Mid-Canterbury the snow fall was not so heavy, though the wind was very keen and the ground under foot was very wet and muddy. • The western districts of South Canterbury felt the full force of the south-west storm, though there was much less snow and sleet than in the north and the lambing season has not become so advanced. Banks Peninsula and Christchurch escaped without a fall of snow, but the day was very cold, with passing heavy rain showers from the south-west. No serious mortality among lambs is expected on the Peninsula and on the plains in the neighbourhood of the city. There is very little snow lying on the flat in Mid-Canterbury and South Canterbury, as the ground is very wet'underfoot, but in the northern and western districts, where the fall was much heavier, the ground is white. In the foothills along the Southern Alps and the Peninsula the tops are snow covered.