SQUALLY WEATHER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 164, 11 July 1906, Page 5

SQUALLY WEATHER.

WESTERLY GAM AND RAINDAMAGE IN COUNTRY DISTRICTS. fio ™ we f erl y. S al P accompanied by fierce gusts, rain and hail, was experiencit ™ C aty last "*&* and this morning. The weather was gloomy and ominous all yesterday, and at about a Ef* t0 i OUr a s <l uaU down from the westward, bringing heavy rain with it. At about half-past four the wind abated, and through the evening was moderate, but after midnight it freshened up again, and between three and six o'clock this morning a series •t-7 er L. squalls passed over the city. These came along with a rush and a roar, their approach being heralded from afar off by an ever-increasing rumble, and then, passing over with sufficient violence to shake buildings and fences, died away in the distance. Heavy hail and rain showers accompanied the squalls, and this morning in the lee of fences and walls hail was piled in heaps. Although the wind gusts were very fierce they were not sufficiently sustained to do any considerable damage, and no effects of note have been recorded in the city. Several of the open sailing boats anchored off Ponsonby dragged their anchors through the night, but none reached the rocks, and this morning extra anchors were put down by their respective owners. The rainfall for the 24 hours ending 9.30 a.m. to-day was not heavy, the total amount being .43 of an inch, or rather less than half an inch. The total mileage of wind, as measured by the anemometer at the Museum, was 375 miles for the 24 hours, but the greatest strength ot the wind was in the squalls, and their force was not, of course, registered by the instrument. The barometer shows a slight recovery thi3 morning, and Mr Cheeseman considers that probably the worst of the g£.\e is over, although it will very likely be squally and unpleasant for a few days. » The first squall of the storm broke over the Lower Waikato and Waiuku districts shortly after three o'clock, and did some damage to buildings in exposed places. A large number of trees were snapped or uprooted by the wind, and at Waiuku fences were blown down on all sides. A couple of sheds Were un roofed, the squall carrying the sheets of iron for a quarter of a mile or more. Telegraphic communication with the South was interrupted yesterday afternoon owing to the breakage of the wires in Taranaki and Wellington provinces. The interruptions were, however, soon remedied, and communication was carried on under normal conditions to-day. The s.s. Waitangi was delayed 2$ hours on the passage from Tauranga to Auckland. A N.W. gale was encountered, leaving Tauranga yesterday, and continued increasing to arrival at eight a.m. to-dayfl The wind changed to the S.W. on nearing port. CYCLONIC STORM AT WAIUKU. TREES SNAPPED AND UPROOTED. MANY BUILDINGS DAMAGED. (By Telegrapn.—Own Correspondent.) WAIUKU, this day. At three o'clock yesterday afternoon a cyclone covering a course a hundred yards wide, and accompanied by tremendous rain, passed through Waiuku, destroying all it met. Mr. "M. Barriball's place got the full force of the storm. Dozens of pine trees were snapped off, gum trees three feet in diameter were torn up by the roots, and many sheds suffered. Thompson's old blacksmith's shop had the roof taken across the road, and it fell against Hood's new shop, of which the roof travelled in pieces a-quarter of a mile. Parts of the roof of Mrs. Webb's house, Hull's cowshed, haystack, and pigsty were also lifted by the storm. A. J. Barriball's shed was levelled to the ground. A gale, with squalls of hurricane lorce, prevailed all night. The storm moderated this morning, though the weather is still squally. The course of the gale was from west to east. THUNDERSTORM AT CAMBRIDGE. TREES STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) CAMBRIDGE, this day. A heavy thunderstorm was experienced here at ten o'clock last evening. , There were several very severe claps of thunder. Some pine trees on Mr. Jarrett's property at Cambridge West were struck by lightning, some of the pieces being carried two chains away. GALE AND FLOODS IN CANTERBURY. A MAN DROWNED. (By Telegrann.—Prea3 association.) CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday. As the result of heavy nor'-west gales all North Canterbury rivers are flooded. The body of a man about sixty years of age was found in the River Avon today. It is supposed to be that of John W. Millns, a resident of Richmond. A purse found in the pocket of his clothes contained an account for rates bearing the name mentioned. » At Mr F. G. Harvey's dairy farm at the Styx a big pine tree was snapped off near the ground, and blown on to the house. It crashed through the roof, splintering the rafters and ceiling, and generally wrecked the furniture of a bedroom, besides doing other damage. A four months old infant, sleeping on the bed at the time, had a miraculous escape, for a portion of the tree was found lying across the bed, and splintered wood lay all over the place.

GALE IN TARANAKI.

NEW PLYMOUTH, Tuesday.

During the height of to-day's gale the wind reached a great velocity. Fences were blown down, but no serious damage is reported. VESSELS IN SHELTER. NELSON, this day. The steamer Wootton, the scows Echo and Magio, and the schooner Annie Hill (the latter three weeks out "from Lyttelton to Westport) are sheltering at Totaranui. Yesterday afternoon the Union Company's s.s. Taieri, with the disabled steamer Kini in tow, was sheltering in Tonga, and wished to be reported all veil.