Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1878 - 1954), Wednesday 21 January 1903, page 5


THE WEATHER.

FÜRTHER RAINS IN THE

. NORTH.

FLOODS IN WESTERN

AUSTRALIA..

[By Telegraph.]

PERTH, January 20.

A great flood is reported from tho Upper Fitzroy River. Thc telegraph lines have been interrupted for some days. It appears

that the river and creeks started to rise with groat rapidity on the 13th instant and the postal officiais had a narrow es-cape of being over« helmed by thc waters. Great numbers of cattle and sheep were drowned. The bodies of some animals were found hanging in the trees, whither they had been carried by the deluge. This is the sixth flood experienced in thc Fitz-roy district since 1892. These heavy rains in the far north-west arc attributed to the cyclone predicted by the Government As-tronomer (Mr. \V. E. Cooke), who sug-gested thc cyclone would probably travel across country after striking the north-, west coast and bring rnin to the goldfields. On Monday evening a correspondent at Menzies telegraphed that rain, wind, and hail were coming from every quarter and

a flood threatened.

SYDNEY, January 20.

There was no relief from the extreme heat throughout the state to-day. A large number of places reported registers of over 100 deg. in thc shade. The highest reading was 118 deg. at Bourke. Out-door work is becoming impossible in some

districts.

BRISBANE, January 20.

The following arc thc principal falls of rain reported for the twenty-four hours ended at 9 a.m. to-day :

Station. In.

Burketown . 0.23

Cape York. 0.57

Coen . 3.03

Cooktown . 3.3» Cumberland . 1.50

Kuranda . 0.12 . M'Donncll . 5.14

Mein . 0.27

Moreton . 0.18

Musgrave . 0.40 Thursday Island . 0.42

* This ÍB the fall for thc last four days.

The undermentioned stations advise the following falls up till 9 a.m. yester-day :

Port Douglas . 2.40

Laura . 1.05

Fairview. 1.17

HUGHENDEN, January 20.

The weather here is fine. There ia a strong north-easterly wind blowing.

Further rain has fallen between Richmend and Cloncurry. As much as 3 in. was registered in some places. The coach i which was due here last night arrived at

noon to-day and left on thc return trip j a couple of hours later. _ ' |

Again yesterday the weather in Rock-hampton was hot, thc thermometer in the ehade at the Telegraph Office registering up to »5 deg.

Our Birdsville correspondent, writing on the 1st instant, says: "Messrs. Ramsay Brothers' sheep started for Elderslie to-day by way of Davenport Downs in charge of Mr. D. Smith Mr. Smith was fortunate enough to save 8000 ewes out of 12,000. The Yanburra sheep also left to-day. It will take them some time to get to Longreach owing to thc flooded state of thc Diamantina Uiver. They may not reach home for four or five monlliB, particularly if wc have rain this month. The sheep from Maneroo arc not to bc moved yet ; but twelve teams with the wool, comprising about ninety tonB, are leaving for Longreach. Mr. S. Kidman has bought 5000 cattle from Messrs. Col-lins and Sons, of Coorabulka Station, and a drover left to-day to lift the first lot which in to bc driven to Farina and trucked thence to Adelaide."

Our Aramac correspondent, writing on the 10th instant, says: " Climatic condi-tions this week have been of a more

favourable character, although nothing to boast of. Thc sky for the last three days has been almost completely overcast, and a few light showers have* fallen in isola-

ted localities. The latest stock move-ments, arc-2200 mixed sheep, from Boongavinna to Aramac, Mr. B. Mollineaux (owner) in charge and ' 4000 ewes, from Barcaldine to Weewondilla, Mr. A. C. Cooper, M.L.A., owner, Mr. S. A. Sutton in charge."

Our Blackall correspondent, writing on the 17th instant, says: "Several service-able showers have fallen in and near the town this week, 0.27 in. being recorded on Sunday, 0.25 in. on Tuesday, and 1.10 in. yesterday evening. This has made the weather very much cooler, the maximum shade readings of the thermometer for the Inst seven duvs having been 101.2 deg., 102.8 deg., 101 deg., 102.4 deg., 100 deg., 102.0 deg., and 03 deg. and the minimum readings 74 deg., 08 deg.. 68 deg., 08.4 deg., «8 deg., 70 deg., and tW deg. At North-ampton DOWTIB on the 0th, I Uh, and 12th instant 2.20 in. fell, made up of falls of 0.71 in., 0.75 in., and 0.80 in. respectively. On the same dates 2.70 in. fell nt Duneira, and the fall at La Plata is slated to have been heavier. The rain, however, was very patchy. At Alice Downs and Yalleroi heavy patchy falls are also reported. All these falls will undoubtedly do much good: but as the month grows older people are anxiously looking for a general fall, which alone promises any thorough relief. On thc 12th instant thirty-five cattle passed through the reserve bound for Glencoe. Mr. G. T. Cullen owner, Mr. J. Elliott in charge. On the ]3th instant. 3823 wether» started from Bonnie Doon, bound for Dalby, in charge of Mr. H. C. Kalil, travelling via Listowel Downs and the Langlo Bivcr." .

Writing on the 10th instant, our Glad-stone correspondent Bays: " The weather for some days has been nearly as droughty ns it was last year. Periods of cloudless sky and comparatively cool weather are not good omens for thc wet season pre-dicted by weather prophets of all sorts. The outlook is not by any means promis-ing." .;

The following tablp, taken from the

j " Winton Herald," shows the number of

days on which rain fell last year and thc

total fall of rain in the twelve months at the underméntloned western etatians:

Winbar of

Stations, wrt dsjn. tUhiMl.

in.

Davenport Downs .. 16 0.39 Mayne Junction _ 10 7.70

Cork . 21 7.02 Kynuna .......... 22 0.77 Diamantina Lakes .. 15 ' 0.71 Kynuna Station _ 16 0.47 Llanrheidol . 24 0.08

Dagworth ,. 21 6.81 Manuka . 14 5.41 Vindex. 18 6.37 Roxborough Downs .. ll 5.28 Glenormiston . 8 5.25 Brighton Downs_ 19 4.93 Elderslie . 17 4.91 Urandangie . 23 4.68

Oondooroo . 23 4.68 Warrnambool . 15 4.36 Sesbania . 15 4.18 Boulia . ll 4.03