THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4862, 30 January 1894, Page 3

THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.

[Feb Pbbss Association.] HaWEBA, Jan. 30. A very heavy thunderstorm passed over South Taranaki yesterday, and there was an unusually heavy fall of snow on Monnt Egmont.

SEVEEE THUNDEBSTOBMS. The severest thunderstorm exporienoed in North Canterbnry paßaed over the district at midday yesterday. The storm was seen to be gathering in the west at about 11 a.m., and an hour later it was directly over Eangiora. There were actually two storm centres, and for half an hour the lightning and thunder were incessant, the latter following the flashes immediately, proving the nearness of the storm. The thunderpeals were deafening, the reverberations shaking the houses like an earthquake and- cracking the glass in windows. At about twenty-five minutes to one o'clock two of the loudest peals occurred, and the lightning wbich preceded one of them struck a high poplar tree opposite a bouse in the southern portion of the borough, occupied by Mr H. Frost and family. The chock from the electric discharge wrecked one of the windows in front of the* house completely, even to splintering up the frame, and the glass in other windows was shattered. No injury was done inside the house, but the occupants were, of oourse, greatly alarmed. The lightning, before it became earthed, played some strange pranks. Striking the top of the tree and running down one side, it stripped off the leaves and some bark. Apparently a portion of the fluid entered the earth at the root of the tree, while the remainder spread ont on either side of it along a fence consisting of plain and barbed wire and wire netting covered in some places with gorse, the fence being stapled to postß and a row of poplar trees. The electric current heated the wire and set fire to about ten or twelve yards of the gorse. In come places the wire was fused, and about ten yards of a No. 8 fencing wire haa completely disappeared. The posts were split and staples drawn, and at one end of the fenoe where the wire terminated a portion of the electric fluid entered the earth, ploughing a bole in the soil. 1 The other end* of the fence termii nates at a tree, and the current I arriving at tbe end of the wire which was embedded in the trunk, ripped off a strip of wood and bark to reach the earth. Tbe current, before arriving at tbis point, was obstructed by the termination of the wires at the gateway, and evidently it passed down tbe tree wbich formed a support for the gate to a spreading bar in the earth under the gate. This bar, a piece of 4 by 3 scantling, was thrown out of its bed, and tbe soil broken up some distance on each side of it. Daring the early part of the storm there was a dead calm, and then rain and hail fell in torrents for about half an hour. The hailstorm appeared to be at its worst along the south bank of the river Ashley, the stones here being an inch in diameter. The atorm was not very severe at Amberley, and did not reach below the Waimakariri to the soutb. The temperature fell very remarkably, the thermometer registering about ten degrees above freezing point at 1 p.m. Coneiderb.b'e damage mußt have been done to the crops in the line of the 6torin. Last evening the weather was cloudy, threatening local showers. The thunderstorm in the northern diatrict on Saturday wbb very severe at : Mount Thomas, and also at Waikari. In the former locality the creekß roee very rapidly, and a man in attempting to cross one was swept from his horse and almost drowned, a wire fence saving him. At Waikari rain and hail almost ruined the gardens, the fall for twenty minutes being phenomenal. K . Ourj Kaiapoi' correspondent writes : — A very severe thunderstorm passed over Kaiapoi between twelve and one o'clock yesterday. The atmosphere was some degrees colder after the storm. The prospects for the crops are very unfavourable ; some of the cut ones are said to be turning black with constant exposure. Oar Bangiora correspondent writes : — Owing no donbt to tbe presence of snow on the baok ranges and a north-west breezeblowingoff the hilla, the temperature wai quite wintry in the northern district last night. To-day the weather is bright and hot, and the farmers are pushing on witb their reaping. Fortunately the heavy hail which fell during yesterday's storm did not spread over a very wide area. The grain in stook is becoming very much discoloured on the exposed eides of the sheaves, and good oat-straw chaff wiU be a scarce commodity in the district. The standing corn has not suffered damage beyond being laid here and there, and a large area is now ready forthe machines. Contrary to the uaial experience, the late sown Tuscan wheat is likely to turnouta more even good sample than the wintersown Pearl.