TEMPORARY RESPITE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 157, 5 July 1934, Page 4

TEMPORARY RESPITE

1 SNOWBALLING AT BLENHEIM A WEDDING CONDUCTED. (Per Press Association). BLENHEIM, July 4. To-day is bright and sunny after yesterday’s unusual snowstorm, and the : last vestiges have disappeared from the town, though the hills all round the plain are still thickly coated. At the height of the storm yesterday Blenheim revelled in an unusual experience and almost by common consent, retailers temporarily abandoned business while their staffs adjourned to adjacent streets, where a series of thrilling snow fights were waged. The roads are all open, but 34 or 35 telephone poles on the main south line near Kaikoura collapsed under the weight of snow and about two miles of

lines is down, telegraph traffic from Blenheim to Christchurch being diverted via the West Coast, and is now subject to serious delay. Kaikoura is telegraphically isolated from Blenheim, and no reports as to the experiences there have been received, but the fall must have been heavy. Apparently the whole province experienced the storm, snow falling as far north as Picton. In the high country the fall was very severe and it is believed that stock losses will be heavy at Alolesworth and other mountain stations, but no estimates are yet available. At Taumarina a wedding was carried out in spite of the snowstorm raging at the time, and the fears of the bride and bridegroom that there might be an icy substitute for the usual confetti was happily not realised, though the temptation to the guests must have been great. ON THE RIMUTAKAS

SUMMIT ROAD BLOCKED. [ Per Press Association. J CARTERTON, July 4. Bitter weather has prevailed in the . Wairarapa since the week-end, snow falling hi most parts of the district. ’ The Tararua and Haungaraki Ranges are covered with a heavy fall, while ' portions of the Rimutaka road is ’ blocked with drifts twenty inches deep. Motorists are having an unenviable 3 time, as the driving conditions are , dangerous. Several parties spent last -night at the Summit, being unable to get ‘ through. It is not uncommon to t see a long line of cars pushing each other up the hill, and round corners cars frequently skidded in the opposite direc- ‘ tion, but motorists willingly lent all ' possible help. The trip to the Wairarapa from Wellington took in the ! majority of cases at least five hours. ? The train services were interrupted this morning as a result of r washout at Mangaroa, but are expected to be back to normal to-morrow. The rivers : are all swollen, but not yet flooded. Southern Wairarapa experienced a ’ severe storm yesterday, making settlers anxious about the rivers. Generally heavy rain has fallen throughout the district yesterday. Martinborough had an electrical storm, but no damage is reported and there have ben no stock losses. The prospects are for a continuance of bleak weather. The snow is very heavy in the back country and extends to the low foothills. Nearly two inches of rain fell at Carterton yesterday, mingled with sleet. HEAVIEST NORTH ISLAND FALL 3ft. 6in. AT WAIOURU. [ Per Press A , *sociat!on. ] TAIHAPE, July 4. Snow three feet six inches dep fell at Waiouni last night. The main north roadway is impassable. About a foot fell at Taihape. AUCKLAND VISITATION COLD, BITTER SNAP. [ Per Press .•.ssoclatlon. ’ AUCKLAND, July 4. Showers of sleety rain driven by a gustty south-westerly wind, made last night and this morning the most uncomfortable experienced for years. The temperature to-day was 46 degrees and is three degrees higher than it was one day last month, but it would be difficult to convince most people that that was a fact. Seldom have so many and bitter complaints of cold been heard in Auckland as were heard this morning. WELLINGTON’S BLIZZARD ( Per Frc-se Association. ] WELLINGTON, July 4. Wellington experienced the full force of the blizzard yesterday afternoon and evening. Heavy rain began to fall in the morning and continued unceasingly until early this morning, the total fall being just over two inches. Hail and sleet were intermingled with the rain, and the surrounding hills received a thicker coating of snow than they have had for some years. The southerly wind reached gale force and a maximum gust was one of 64 miles an hour. Gusts over fifty miles an hour were frequent, but no damage was done. Shipping services were dislocated and trains*to-day were running la'te owing to the snow in the central provinces. Heavy snow falls on the Rimutakas made negotiating of this hill almost impossible for motor vehicles, several lorries being abandoned for the night. The road, however, is being cleared today. Snow fell on the Paeknkariki Hill, tno, and at Otaki and Waikanae. which is a most unusual happening. The weakher to-day is calm and much improved. CLEARING AT MASTERTON ( Per Press Association ). MASTERTON, July 4. Though the weather is very cold and heavy rain has fallen, no damage is reported and road communications have not been interrupted in this district. The weather is -now clearing.