ANOTHER HOT AND SULTRY DAY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19268, 3 January 1931, Page 2

ANOTHER HOT AND SULTRY DAY.

HOPES OF RAIN ARE ONCE MORE DISPELLED.

People whose interests lie rather in gardens and lawns than in sunbathing had a few moments of hope this morning, when, from a sky that was clouded and that seemed to be getting more heavily overcast, a few drops of rain fell. The hope was not long sustained. The sun slowly but surely overcame the tendency of the clouds to accumulate, and, under the influence of a light north-west wind, the temperature rose steadily. Hopes of rain faded definitely into the background. 1 Rain is needed, whatever may be said to the contrary by those young folk whose ambition just now appears to be to change themselves as nearly as possible into pieces of toast. Lawns are already showing signs of the dry, hot weather, and gardens, now blooming everywhere, would become delightful if refreshed by rain. At present, however, there is no prospect of early rain. The temperature early this morning was delightfully cool, following a blood red sunrise that was remarkably beautiful. The steady accumulation of the clouds combined with the coolness and freshness of the air seemed to promise rain, and a fall seemed likely shortly after eight o’clock, when a few drops spattered down. The nor’-wester, however, was soon in control again, and hopes of rain had to be deferred. The amateur weather wise were predicting in the forenoon that the wind would veer to the south-west. “It will rain to-night,” was the hopeful verdict of one man on the tram. May he earn the robes of a prophet.