LAST NIGHT’S GALE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17012, 10 April 1923, Page 8

LAST NIGHT’S GALE.

BIG BLOW, BUT LITTLE DAMAGE. Last night’s sou’-west wind was exceptionally boisterous. Contrary to the usual experience of a sou’-wester, j-> was dry, no rain being carried by iii over the city, and very little over iny of the suburbs. Limbs and branches of trees were broken off, ;yad tome other damage was done, buf©t Iras mostly slight and unimportant, as Far as the reports show. Slight damage is reported by the ‘‘Star’s” correspondents at New Brighton and Sumner. Cashmere re teived. the full force of the galo, which l-esidents describe as terrific. Except for damage to* a gate-post at Ihe toll-gate on the Summit Rond, near Dyer’s Pass, the hills seejn to have (scaped luckily. The Superintendent of Telegraphs, r. ho was inclined to look for trouble this morning, felt relieved when he found that all his wires were lip and were working as usual- The telephone wires were unaffected. A branch of a tree was blown across nn electric current transmission wire at Bromley, but otherwise no trouble resulted to the power scheme. The gale throughout the night at Lyttelton was very severe, but so far no reports have come to hand of any damage being done. The gale, which Freshened last evening, prevented the Port Caroline from making her departure for Wellington until this morning. The Westmeath, however, left in the afternoon for the south. It will be interesting to hear how she got on in the storm. The Cygnet, which was clue on Sunday evening, has not yet arrived. The barometer has risen 10 points since 9 a.m. yesterday. The temperature is still very cold, though not quite so cold as yesterday. Unprotected orchards suffered very severely, large quantities of apples being blown down. SNOW AT SPRINGFIELD. An exceptionally cold and gusty sou’ •si snap commencing late on Saturday lit broke a spell of real autumn at her. At daybreak on Sunday morn • g Springfield lay under a mantle oi . now. hail and frost. The Torlesse lange was white down to the lower levels, and the Malvern Hills were snow-ridged. Throughout Sunday the weather continued very cold, and though very' little rain fell, sundown was preceded by a gale which raged al through the night. After the long spe of dry’, warm weather, a good soak in rain would be much more beneficial t the farmers than the cold, dry wind.