LENGTHY DROUGHT.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20541, 16 February 1935, Page 8

LENGTHY DROUGHT.

Conditions Discussed by Meteorologist. r*er Press Association. WELLINGTON, February 15. Observations on weather prospects for New Zealand and a review of the brought conditions prevailing over the last few weeks were made to-day by Dr E. Kidson, Government Meteorologist, in an interview. Dr Kidson said: Drought conditions are particularly acute in Mid and North Canterbury, and are severe also in much of Marlborough and South Canterbury and Otago. In Nelson conditions this year have never been very bad, but tl?3 West Coast and Southland had good rains last month and are generally in good condition. In the North Island it is still generally dry, especially since much of the rain that has fallen has been of a local character Not nearly so much benefit has been reecived from it, therefore, as would have been derived from a steady general rain. Relief Rains. Nevertheless there have been import.relief rains in most districts. *i aW wr e ® Bay » pover ty Bay, parts of the Wairarapa, the Waikato and areas about and north of Auckland especially, are on a much better footing now than at the beginning of the month. So far as the North Island is concerned the drought is probably practically over. Even in Canterbury there have been scattered rains. Equally dry periods have been experienced in other years, but they have

usually begun later in the summer. On this occasion, too, the dry conditions have been accompanied by the warmest weather that has been recorded. When the heat was at its greatest and the days at their longest the effect on pastures was all the more severe. Another important point is that there had been a great flush of growth in the spring. The result has been that pastures were browned and burnt off, not only very completely, but also unusually early in the summer. Standing dry grass, of course, made fire risks very great. We have been fortunate in the absence of strong winds.