TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 95, 21 April 1923, Page 7

TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR.

AN EASTERLY STORM. THUNDER AND LIGHTNING. A BFJLLIAX. SPECTACLE. Although tbe wind died down yester- i (lax- to some considerable extent, the stormy weather of the last day or two was by no means over. About midday the rain ceased, hut later in the afternoon it again began to fall, and this time with greater vigour than before. Business people, who had been caught in ii heavy shower about nine o'clock in tbe morning, again found themselves in a heavy downpour that set in soon after live o'clock in tbe evening when they turned their faces homewards. The journey for many was most unpleasant, thick overcoats and umbrellas being rendered almost useless beneath the deluge that fell from the sky. -As the evening wore or, brilliant flashes of lightning occurred, giving momentary panoramas of bouses, rainladen trees and sullen skies. From an eminence at Birkenhead tbe forked and chained lightning out at sea was an aweinspiring sight and, during a particularly vivid spell about eleven o'clock. Tiri Island could be seen, silhouetted against the inky darkness beyond. Bright, as were the flashes, the 1 bunder was not as severe as might have been expected, and at times, owing to the distance of the occurrence of the phenomena, could not be heard at all. At. the most it was a slight rumble reverberating in fainter peals until it gradually died away. EFFECT OX LEAKY ROOFS. The heavy volume of rain was a | severe test to the roofs of houses and business premises, and in cases where the overhead covering against the elements was not of the best, big pools of water collected in the rooms beneath. A restaurant in town suffered considerably from the influx of water last evening, and for a time business had to be suspended. The defects in tbe roof of the Supreme Court buildings, which have existed for a number of years, were again made obvious yesterday, when the water trickled through the cracks and crannies into the precincts of the Arbitration Courtroom. Largo drops of rain also fell from the leaky roof of the vestibule, nnd formed pools on the flagstones beneath. THE PEDESTRIAN'S TROUBLED. A number of roads about Auckland which are under repair added to tbe discomfort of the pedestrian last evening. In tbe Croat South Road near Green Lane, things were anything but pleasant, where the pavements had been torn tor re-forming, in connection with the concrete paving operations. Tn the road itself, Ihe deep trenches, which have been cut in order to lay the tramway beds, were inundated, and this morning a long stretch of water fully a foot deep presented itself to the eye." Tt is. however, an ill rain that does not bring some good, and this morning a number of kiddies were having the time of their lives disporting themselves in this novel pnddling-hole. Very large pools of water formed on tbe pavements of a number of roads in Cheltenham. One section of Vauxhall Road, just outside the 'Mount Cambria quarry hole, was ! quite a trap, into which many hapless pedestrians floundered owing to the fact I that their umbrellas obscured the view. SHIPPING STILL DELAYED. The coastal shipping has been considerably disorganised by the boisterous weather! The Taniwha has been delayed at Paeroa on account of floods and will probably not arrive back in Auckland until Monday night. Tier trip to Paeroa to-morrow evening had consequently lxen abandoned. The Otimai. which sought shelter at Islington Bay was able to leave there at nine o'clock this morning at YVhakatane. The Ngapuhi arrived at Tauranga at f> o'clock last evening after being delayed ten hours on tbe voyage. She leaves again this evening for Auckland and is expected to arrive here to-morrow morning. After being three days late the Apanui arrived at Awanui from Auckland this morning. Practically the whole of the Northern Company's fleet! of scows is held up at different ports ] along the coast. The Katoa experienced heavy weather | on the passage from Wellington to Auckland and arrived here this after- j noon after three days' buffeting. AX IMPROVEMENT INDICATED. The amount of rain which fell during the twenty-four hours ended at nine o'clock this morning as recorded at the Albert Park Observatory by Captain Whiteford was 2.34 inches, making the fall for 4S hours 4.01. The barometer this morning stood at 29.74 and at noon to-day at *i 0.5.1. The weather cleared considerably after nine o'clock this morning, and al about eleven there was a fugitive gleam of sunshine. With a change of the wind from east to east-south-east the seas are gradually subsiding giving every Indication that the gale h.ts spent itself. While the wind attained a velocity of :S0:. miles for the twenty-four hours ended at. nine o'clock yesterday morning only 104 miles were recorded for a similar perid ending at nine o'clock this morning. FIONA IX A GALE. The reporls of the easterly gale raging out at sea were confirmed by the Colonial Sugar Company's steamer Fiona, which' arrived at Auckland last evening from Xcwcustle. after it tempestuous voyage that lasted nine days. Soon after leaving the Australian port, the vessel ran into the gale. Tbe waters poured in avalanches over her decks, and so delayed her progress that she was eight days before reaching the Three Kings. Coming down the coast she struck the full force of the gale, and at times her engines could barely make headway against the fury of tlie heavy seas. The Shaw. Savill and Albion steamer Waimana, which also arrived at Auckland lust evening from Newcastle, was thirty-six hours behind time. The voyage throughout was a stormy one. with heavy seas and strong winds. BIG FLOOD AT WAIAPU. si INCHES OF RAIN" IN \ DW. ißy Telegraph. Pros- Asocial .m.l CISBORXF. this ,1 iy. i \ heavy north easterly gale is -w.-ep-ing the East Coast, linatorca. Walapu Count v. reports that «.il inch" nf.«n fell during th,- last 24 hours, ami it istill raining heavily. A big n"°*-<* '" <" c Waiapu Itiver is inevitable. WASHOUTS AT PAEROA. (By Te.eim.pU. own roiwponfl-.nr. PAEROA. this day. Ileaw mm has fallen al Paeroa. There i°- :, wii-houl mi tin- Waihi and 1.. \roiia railway lines and ii" trains arc running to-day. Rivera are all high.