Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 - 1954), Friday 24 January 1896, page 2


THE HEAT IN NEW SOUTH WALES. AN UNPRECEDENTED RECORD. Telegrams from Sydney and more complete details in the Sydney papers furnish amazing and distressing ac-counts of the terrible effects of the re-cent heat wave in New South Wales. A Bourke telegram dated Tuesday reports—" The heat to-day was very trying, the thermometer registering 118deg. in the shade. Two more deaths were reported today. This brings the record to 35 deaths directly ascribed to the heat. The average heat in the shade for the month to date is over 112deg., while for the past four days the average has been 118¾deg. The residents are really panic-stricken, and hundreds are leav-ing for cooler climates. On Wednes-day afternoon a terrific wind blew several verandahs down, as well as half a dozen ornamental trees in the streets. The thermometer registered 120deg., and in many shops and houses the temperature reached 125 deg. Almost all business was practi-cally suspended except in the hotels. Two more deaths occurred in the town. A powder magazine exploded and for five minutes afterwards rain fell. At Condobolin the extreme heat continued unbroken, the following being the readings for the past four days:—15th, 106deg. ; 16th, 110deg.; 17th, 118deg. ; 18th, 107deg. At Wilcannia eight deaths have so far occurred locally from the heat. Three deaths are reported from White Cliffs, and one each from Gnalta, Wonnaminta and Tongo, all due to the heat; a total altogether of 15 deaths in the Wilcannia district from heat since Thursday last. At Tiboburra 119 was reached, and the death of W. Hodge, a well known miner, is reported. Nine deaths have been recorded at Nyngan. At Coonamble the ther-mometer has registered 110deg. in the shade. The thermometer has not re-gistered less than 100 deg. since two or three days before New Year. At Warren the thermometer, in well-shaded situations, registered from 114deg to 119deg, while on many of the neighboring stations 110 deg. were recorded. Twenty cases of heat apoplexy were reported. In several localities the thermome-ter has registered 105 at midnight.