HEAVY RAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 219, 16 September 1935, Page 8

HEAVY RAIN.

WEEK-END DOWNPOUR.

STRONG NIGHT WIND.

STRAWBERRT CROPS BENEFIT

After four days of clear ekies, the sun roee yesterday behind light clouds which rapidly grew denser, and a few preliminary light showers in the morning were followed in tho afternoon by a steady downpour which continued almost without a break last night and this morning until about ten o'clock. Reports from country centres indicate that similar conditions were general all over tho Auckland Province.

The wind, which yesterday morning blew lightly from the east-north-east, increased in force during the night, sometimes reaching gale force, but died away again at sunrise to-day as it backed round to north-north-east. In some places it was accompanied 'by thunder and lightning. No serious damage is reported, though several sheets of iron were partially torn from the roof of a house at Devonport, their clattering keeping the occupants awake all night. Cargo Loading Held Up.

Little cargo work could bo done on the Auckland waterfront this morning, and, in addition to a number of coastal vessels, several overseas ships were idle until tho rain stopped. The British Phosphate Commission's steamer Triona, which arrived yesterday with a cargo of phosphate from Ocean Island and berthed at the King's wharf, did not commence discharge until mid-day, while the motor ship Pdrt Fairy, which arrived from New Plymouth this morning, and the motor ship Eangitane, which arrived from Napier yesterday, both vessels being scheduled to load here, at the Queen's wharf and the Central wharf respectively, for the United Kingdom, were also unable to make an early start. The loading of the steamer Middlesex for the United Kingdom at the Queen's wharf, and tho discharge of the steamer Mataroa, which arrived from London on Friday night and berthed the following morning at the Prince's wharf, was likewise delayed. There was, however, some intermittent work between the showers at' Prince's wharf, where the Union Company's passenger steamer Monowai berthed on her arrival from Sydney this morning, as this vessel is scheduled to sail for Vancouver via Honolulu and Suva at 11 a.m. to-morrow. Sho is not likely to bedelayed. Wet weather at Opua delayed the loading of the steamer Surrey, which arrived there from New Plymouth to lift produce and frozen meat for the United Kingdom. This vessel was to leave Opua to-day for Auckland, where she is to fill up, but owing to the delay she is not now expected to leave until to-morrow.

Two Inches of Rain. Although rain had fallen on four days previously this month it amounted in all to only .77 inches, but from 0 a.m. yesterday to 0 a.m. to-day 1.76 inches, more than twice this amount, fell, making the total rainfall to date for five day.? this month 2.53 inches. In some places in the province the fall was even heavier, nearly three inches being recordt-d at Waihi.

From 30.09 inches at 9 a.m. yesterday, the barometer had dropped to 29.(53 inches at 9 a.m. to-day and continued its downward trend this morning. To-day was warmer, however, than yesterday was, the air temperature at 9 o'clock being 5(3.5 degrees, as compared with 53 yesterday. The duration of bright sunshine yesterday at the Albert Park observatory totalled only six minutes, but there was more sunshine than that in some of the outer suburbs during the early part of yesterday morning.

So warm was the ground, after four days' of sunshine, that by noon to-cay, a couple of hours after the rain had stopped, the streets in the city were again dry, save in the gutters and in other hollows where pools of surface water had collected, or where the navenient was sheltered from the warm wind. Although the sunlight shone through only very softly, the clouds were thinner, and glimpses of blue sky could be seen.

The signalman at Tiritiri, however, reported at noon that a strong northerly wiiii?, accompanied by mist and rain showere, was blowing there, making a

rougu sea.

Strawberry Growers Grateful

For the fact that the ruin has been accompanied by mild temperatures, local strawberry growers are profoundly thankful. Weeks of cold, wet weather during July and August greatly retarded the growth of the plants, and it was expected that the strawberry harvest, which usually begins about October 12, would this year be late, little of the fruit being available before the second week in November, and tir.it supplies, particularly of the comparatively delicate Marguerite variety, would be less plentiful than they were last year. Last week's fine weather, however, enabled the growers to get on with the manuring of the plants, and this lias now been followed most opportunely by; warm rainfall which should stimulate growth.

Streams in the districts between Whangarei and Kawakawa, where several destructive floods have occurred this year, rose rapidly yesterday afternoon and about 10 o'clock, after five or six hours' steady rain, many ran bankhigh, giving settlers in low-lying areas an anxious night. The train-running branch of the Railway Department reported to-day, however, that there had been no serious floods along the northern line. From Hamilton and Rotorua reports were also received of heavy warm rain yesterday afternoon and last night, which apparently did no damage.

FAIX OF 3TN AT WAIHX

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

WATHI, tills dav.

During the sputh-eaeterly gale last night nearly three inches of ram fell. The weather was still very bad this morning with more heavy rain.