NORTH CANTERBURY

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 13938, 11 January 1911, Page 12

NORTH CANTERBURY

In the North Canterbury district the storm caused some damage in the Mandeville, Loburn, and Eyreton districts.

The storm centre was about the entrance of the Waimakariri river where it divided. One part circled towards Stewart's Gully, over Mr Doubleday's farm, on to Mr J. Wright's potato crop on Kaiapoi Island, thence to Power's and Jackson's roads, Ohoka, and to the farms of Messrs White, Atkinson, Winter, and Wright, at Swannanoa, and back through part of the Lowland Leas Estate to Fernside. In its path tho storm damaged potatoes, peas, and rape, and in some instances the wheat, to the extent of four to five bushels an acre. Fortunately the track was not a wide one, and tlie loss will not be so heavy, although at Swannanoa it is reported to have gone through a crop ol 100 acres of oats and wheat respectively. Tlie other branch of the storm left its mark along the lands near the. Coast till nearing the Ashley, when it went in the direction of Mount Grey, and in doing so damaged some _rain at the lower part of the Ashley district, and at the upper part of the Sefton district caused some consternation for a time by reason of the size of the hailstones. Throughout the course of the downpour the hail brushed over the grain to a certain extent. The hail lay for a time like snow on the ground, but on its clearing away it was surprising tho little damage that had resulted. While the storm lasted the thunder was tho loudest that had been heard for some years.