TROPICAL STORM

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 11934, 28 January 1936, Page 2

TROPICAL STORM

50 MILKS AX Horn CALK

SYDNEY sri-'FKUs SEVERELY

Sydney, Jan. 20.

Accompanied by a 50-miles p et hour wind and vivid lightning, a iro.

pical rainstorm burst over the city at 4 p.m. to-day, and in five mining 31 points of rain fell. Although storm lasted only a few minutes i t did considerable damage.

The temperature, which at i.jj p.m. had touched !'S,S degrees, (ho highest of the day, was on the ss mark when the storm broke, hut it quickly dropped eleven degrees.

Sydney was not caught quite un. prepared, as heavy black clouds pro. sagod the storm, and hundreds had hurried to shelter anticipating a deluge.

Few who had business in p te

streets, however, were armed with umbrellas or coals, and the down.

pour, driver by a "fishtail" wind from the west, soaked them thoroughly S! they scurried for shelter.

Only about half a minute elapsed between the first few drops and the deluge. The high wind temporarily brought much city traffic to a stand, still, and several stationary motor cars were driven a few feet along the roadway. Blinding Haiti. The downpour was blinding for a few minutes, and (rams temporarily halted while drivers waited tor their windscreens to clear. Motor cars were unable to make progress and pedestrians were almost blown across the streets. The Weather Bureau reported that 31 points of rain fell in five minutes at the height of the storm. So heavy was the downpour that many shopkeepers stood just inside their doorways watching the miniature torrents rush down the footpaths a'nd gutters, and all buildings in the city were festooned with headcraning out of windows watching the breaking of the heatwave, as they thought. Sultry conditions supervened immediately on the heavy rain. Scaffolding Down. During the height of the storm, scaffolding on the north side of the new City Mutual building, under construction on the corner of Hunter and Bligh streets, fell with a crash

into the back premises of the Australian Jockey Club. Fortunately, nobody was struck, but glass in the A..1.C. building was smashed and it fell into the vestibule, and a chimney was knocked down.

Hugo planks wore splintered in (lie fall of scaffolding, which came down from about the eighth story of the new building. Alarmed by the terrific crash, the clerical staff of the A.J.C. rushed from their offices towards the street doors.

Atkin's radio shop, in Rullcr-road. Punchbowl, was practically wrecked by the storm. The roof was lifted off, and then, front wall and a chimney stacked'' lapsed. The building was flooded by t a foot of water. Fortunately, the eight persons ii the building were uninjured. Roof Blown Off. The roof of the Army Ordname Store, lu Blackmore Park, Leich-' hardt, was blown oft, and deposited '■ on the road about 20 yards away. ( Though debris fell into the buildiu;, p : j no one was inju red.

Traffic was f.eld up tor nearly P minutes in UlfTmo-road, near the overhead bridge, Pyrmont, by storm-j, water which quickly covered Us roadway to a depth of nearly l«o feet. The water, which as spreii over an area of 25 yards, quickly * subsided.

The roof of a fruit shop on corner of Liverpool-road and Beat-marice-strcet, Enfield, was blown cf and carried 30 yards, landing on lief tramlines in Liverpool-road. Tranu i were delayed tor about 15 minute. It took nine men to shift the roof. An electric sign on a building is Castlereagh-street caught alight Jity during the height of the storm astl|t was subdued by firemen from head-I|||‘; ; quarters. Houses Hazed. It was reported from Liven® that a number of houses had blown down and wrecked by It*, force of the storm of Bringelly. Tb [ telephone line to Bringelly is out & order. A violent electrical storm was dperienced at Itossmore, in the sa® ? district. Branches were torn f rcB ’ trees, and market gardens wercdaE’s aged by hail. The telephone Hu« K out of order. A showcase window at the Cro*" photographic studios, in G e °T . Street, city, was smashed by force of the wind. Ip The roofs were blown off twopbp mises in Burwood Hoad, Enfleld> Be2r the post office. The storm was most severe in lt: , Austinmere district. A roof, W c * : from a cottage, was carried SO J* 1 * 1 to land on Prince’s Highway. Tra®was held up for some minutes. High Temperature. The 9 a.m. temperature of S‘ grees to-day was the highest E ’ El , January 23 of last year whe n lt ’ mercury reached 90 degrees. Itkhpi f on rising that day, lul being Il ’i| maximum reading. Four degrees in an hour was 1-,, effort this morning and 11 ocIV-P; : it was still higher—94 degrees. 1 p.m. the temperature had risen--9C.7 degrees. ‘[;