The week produced some good falls of rain on six days out of seven, filling rain gauges with 115 mm. Most of this rain was due to a high in the Tasman Sea bringing the monsoonal rains down from up north.  However, Sunday was a rain-free day and the noise of mowers and ‘whipper snippers’ were to be heard all over town coping with the week’s vigorous growth of grass.  It is interesting to note the ground is still comparatively dry even after a wet week. So where did all the water go? After a long dry spell the ground was too hard to allow much penetration and there was considerable run off on water courses. Our moisture sensors at 20 cm underground are still indicating dry conditions exist. What a shame it is to see so much water going down concrete driveways and roads into storm water drains, without first getting a chance to soak into the ground and improve water table levels.

Please go to ‘This Month’ page for more data

                                              Soil Moisture Levels

Israelis headed for the beach at the weekend to enjoy a winter heatwave, with temperatures rising into the high 20s as much of northern Europe shivered in a cold snap.

Extremely cold weather across northern Europe has left scores of people dead and caused widespread transport chaos.

Temperatures as low as minus 22 degrees Celsius have led to the deaths of 122 people in Poland, with the main river, the Vistula, now frozen over and causing fears of flooding.

In the Swiss Alps, avalanches have killed at least seven people, while in western France, 14 regions have been hit by heavy snow.

Severe weather warnings are still in place across the UK, which is in the grip of its longest cold snap in 30 years.

The military was called in after around 1,000 vehicles were stranded when more than 40 centimetres of snow blocked the A3 highway overnight.

Authorities in southern Britain have warned motorists to only use their vehicles if absolutely necessary.

Thousands of schools have been closed and around half the UK workforce stayed home, which is said to have cost the economy $1 billion in lost output.

Around 5,000 homes in Sussex are still without power as the country suffers through the cold snap, which is expected to last at least another week.