Newspaper Article 1983 – Wind machines switched on to fight frosts

Wind machines switched on to fight frosts

Wind machines were switched on around Hastings last night by stonefruit growers who took few risks as frost struck.

“Any frost in excess of about 1 degree Celsius for half an hour and you are running a risk,” one of the major growers in St Georges Rd, Mr John Paynter, said.

Havelock North had 4.5 degrees of frost this morning and Hastings 3.5. All other weather centres in the province had frosts with 2.3 degrees in Napier, 1.6 in Waipukurau, 5.2 in Dannevirke and 1.5 in Wairoa.

The president of the Hawke’s Bay Fruitgrowers’ Association, Mr Keith Spackman, said the frost had posed no great danger except to early varieties of peaches, nectarines and plums. It would be about three weeks before apples would be at risk to frosts.

Mr Paynter said guarding trees from frosts would be tricky if the weather remained dry and continued its pattern of westerly winds with quick changes to southerly fronts.