Freakish Weather.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVII, Issue 5, 31 January 1912, Page 64

Freakish Weather.

') Some. sections of the Eastern New York included, have been revelling in what the newspapers call a ‘heat waves," writes the New York correspondent of the London “Telegraph,” in mid-Dec ember. People are not dropping in the streets with exhaustion as in midsummer, he continues, but until today thousands of Americans who usually year fur coats in December were promenading Broadway in summer attire, and at Coney Island hundreds of bathers declared that the sea water was ‘ just fine. ? Low shoes and “peekaboo” blouses are displayed by young women and girls, and in the suburbs buttercups and dandelions are blossoming. The temperature was 57deg., and should have been about 39deg. According to tradition sleigh bells should be jingling, children tobogganing, and open fires roaring less than two weeks before Christmas, but all that has been changed bv the exhibition of weather which is ‘ well described as “freakish.” A week ago a baby blizzard swept over the State of New York, but was succeeded very soon by a warm spell, which has been without example for the last forty years. In * few days probably Americans in the Eastern States will be shivering with cold. Neither low temperatures nor high temperature* are considered of great account, but lightning transitions from one extreme to the other are the reverse of healthy. On the other hand, Americans usually clothe themselves so sensibly, according to the requirements of, the day, and buildings are heated so scientifically, that the discomforts, great as they are, are now reduced to a minimum.