RECORD SCORCHER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17245, 11 January 1924, Page 8

RECORD SCORCHER.

HEAT WAVE CONTINUES. TO-DAY’S READINGS TOP FIGURES. The heat, wave increased in intensity this morning, ami continued to increase during the day, until, at. 12.30 p,ra, tho readings topped the records for the present hot spell. At that time, the instruments at the observatory in Hagley Park recorded: In tho shade . . 90.8 deg. In the sun. . . 158 deg. These figures may bo exceeded later in the day. The nearest approaches during the present spell to to-day’s records were j in November and December, when the i following m&ximums in tho shade were i recorded : I November 27 . 90.0 deg. S December 16 . . 90.7 dog. To day is the hottest day recorded in i Christchurch since January' 3, 1921, ! when 94.3 degrees was reached. This is I about only the eighth time that tho temperature in Christchurch has risen to ,90 degrees or over since 1905. The highest record in Christchurch since that year was on January 30, 1908, when the unusual temperature of 95.3 was recorded. The following: table givet> for last year the approximate mean temperature and ! the extreme maximum and extreme minimum temperature for each month:

HEAT IN THE SOUTH. Per Press Association. AShSCHTOX. January UT 1 A heat wave is developing, particularly inland. The thermometer in the ! sun at Winchmore. ten miles north- ! west of Ashburton, was 190 this morning. The wheat crops are ripening precipitately and farmers are anticipating heavy financial loss. The weather since November is reckoned to be the i worst spell for many years. The abandonment of wheat growing is a general topic of conversation, but many growers are in the singular position of being compelled to continue wheat growing owing to their accumulated debts, which make them unablG to change their farming suddenly for want of capital. 'The great hope is for one good wheat harvest to enable them to quit.

L February March |2S‘ III ill I . 61.0 80.1 31st . 69.2 81.o 8t . 56.2 74.3 23rd . 60.1 77.4 1st . 47.5 64.6 23rd 111 44.8 36.6 83.8 31.1 27.9 1 15th 18th 19th 29 th 30th Jn”y A UJJUSt September October December . 42.3 68.2 20tll . 41.0 62.0 4 th . 43.0 70.0 31st. . 49.7 69.1 flntli . 51.9 74.9 21th . 60.9 90.0 27th . 63.5 90.7 16tli 26.1 25.7 25.5 33.4 37.6 41.4 23rd 2nd 19th 5th 8th 12th 2Cth