FLOODED STREETS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 11, 13 January 1945, Page 6

FLOODED STREETS

STORM IN HAMILTON

TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR

HAMILTON, this day

Coming as a climax to several days of intermittent rain with humid conditions, a downpour of a torrential nature struck the district shortly before 6 o'clock yesterday evening. Continuing with great intensity for 40 minutes, the rain was accompanied by lightning and thunder. Other showers fell during the evening, and the fall recorded in Hamilton for the 24 hours to 9 a.m. to-day was 2.32 in.

It was apparent from the black masses of clouds on the horizon that the downfall varied in different districts. This was illustrated by a report from the Ruakura animal research station, which recorded 3.59 in for the 24 hours. During the downpour the wind changed direction several times. The barometer remains low, and this morning has been showery.

At numerous street intersections in Hamilton lakes were formed yesterday evening over wide stretches of the road, cars ploughing through the water in one place a foot deep. A small stream at Frankton was dammed and made into a lake, in which children were able to swim. Buses, Limited had to obtain the use of a pump from the Borough Council to empty a five-foot pit used for servicing vehicles at the Frankton depot. Turners and Fows were put to considerable trouble when water poured into a basement in which eggs were stored. The bottom layer of crates was standing in four or five inches of water.

The rainfall for January is 4.76 in, and already this is the wettest January since 1941, when 7.29 in was recorded.