BOISTEROUS WEATHER

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 151, 23 December 1929, Page 10

BOISTEROUS WEATHER

WIND. THUNDER, RAIN

SOUTHERLIES TO COME

Yesterday was the longest day and last night the shortest night, but neither can be complimented upon the type of weather they produced. The vagaries of the Dominion's climate and the sudden changes to which we are subjected -were reproduced with emphasis. Boisterous winds and rain followed on Saturday's sunshine, the stormy conditions being capped last night by thunderstorms. The wind ! wrought havoc in many gardens, laying I low unstaked plants and generally making a mess of previously tidy plots. Damage, too, was done in some instances to telephone and power lines, chimney-pots, tiles, and fencing.

The cause of the trouble was the rapid approach on Saturday night of an intense cyclone. This was known to be over the Tasman Sea, but the absence of ships' wireless reports, largely owing to the interference by static, prevented the meteorologists from being able to time its arrival with precision. It travelled very fast, and approached the West Coast of the South Island on Saturday night. About Foveaux Strait easterly winds blew, but elsewhere strong and squally northerly winds were experienced. Yesterday those reached galo force in many places, the weather being generally cloudy and unsettled. Scattered rain fell in western and southern districts, but during last night the rain became \ general. Heavy falls have been reported from places in nearly all districts, and quite a number of places have reported severe thunderstorms. Wellington had its share of the latter between 2 and 5 o'clock-this morning, the most severe thunderstorm of the scries breaking over the city about 2.20 a.m. At this time 13 points of rain fell in five minutes, but the rainfall at Kelburn totalled only 25 points for the whole 24 hours.

Throughout yesterday and last night tho wind, blew from a northerly quarter with persistent vigour. The maximum gust was one of 55 miles an hour, which occurred at 10.40 a.m. yesiterday, but there were other and frequent gusts of round about 50 miles an hour. Barometric pressure during the storm period fell very low. When the centre of the cyclone crossed Canterbury last night, readings, there were as low as 29 inches. In Wellington at 9 a.m. today the barometer was still as low as 29.02 inches. STILL UNSETTLED. Strong north-westerly to westerly gales are now blowing north of Greymouth and Kaikoura. These are expected to back gradually to south-westerly gales, southerly or south-easterly gales being experienced elsewhere. Unsettled weather, with further general rain, is likely, and heavy falls are probable on the East Coast of the South Island, where rivers will be flooded, j With the change of wind temperatures' will fall perceptibly.

There is consolation, to be derived from the fact that this cyclonic'visitor is a hustler, and may move away as quickly as it came. Although it is leaving stormy conditions in its trail, it is hoped that they will moderate before the Christmas holiday and allow a slight anti-cyclone which is following to improve the Dominion's weather during tho all-important holiday period.