THE WEATHER

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14406, 13 July 1912, Page 15

THE WEATHER

HEAVY K.VIXS.

RIVEHS IS FLOOD.

As a re&ult of the heavy rainfall I about aa inch was recorded from (i o'clock ti!l 11 o'clock ou Thursday night in the North Canterbury district (says our Kaianoi corespondent). Tlie floods increased in volume yesterday morning, on the A>hlcy and th« Eyre rivers particularly. The fl OlH l waters at Sefion. and on the other side towards Waikuku, were wider than usual, and traffic on the North road will bo stopped. Thu Eyre riverbed, which has b»<?n neglected and nllowc-d to grow guise and broom, sent-a wide overflow out at Necvc's Corner, part of the cuno-it go-njr j n tin- direction of the Kaikanui crock, and the ma::i body banking towards Wilson's Sidin;;. Uetwcen that station and Wavcrley the train from Uonnotts was held up, tiie pr.sson'tors. alter fifteen minutes,' dolay, beim; troUicd to the Waikari-Christchui-ch train at tho Kyretoii Junction. Tho lands at Flaxton, and towards Iho Maori reserve, were reeeivinic moro water, and stock had to bo moved, while the main drain had an overflow at the Skew bridge, and stock there also had to bo removed. There wa-s an overflow at the Skew bridge, end traffic on the Drain road was temporarily stopped. No damage was reported from Kniraki, at tho month of the Waimakariri river.

When the tide bogr.n to recede at 2 o r clock yesterday afternoon, there was a swift ami very muddy current passing under the three bridges at Kaiapoi towards the sea. At the traffic'bridge* tho flood waters were up to tho top of the piles, rind at tho footbridges constant attention was necessary to remove tho flotsam and jjetsam brought downi Considering tho high, state of the river, it -was remarkable that at tho Bealoy Station, at an altitude of'almost 1400 ft, the Waimakarii'i was low. As the. day woro on it was evident that the broach of a chain or two of the main drain bank, ab the Skew bridgo on the Rangiora road, was adding to the extended, inundation of the Flaxtoii land towards Church bush and Maori reserve, whilo tho breach in the bank of the Eyro on tho north side, near to Ohoka, and the heavy overflow near Mr Giles's land at Clarkoville, as well as tho further escape at Xec-ve's Corner, were the cause of much anxiety. From the threo points named tho country for a milo or two -was subjected to a severe deluge. As tho water crossed tho roads in some of ■ tho low places, traffic was stopped, tho Kaiapoi to Bennetts railway, between "Waverley and Wilson's siding receiving considerable damage, and trains could not run. The threo over the Northern railway near tho .Flaxton station, in consequence of tho pressure of the cxirrents, required the constant attention of the laihvay men, and the road parallel with tho railway Also required attention. From tho main stream of tho Eyro, in its course with the "Waimakariri around tho junction signal-box, was a complete sea, which reached to witlu'n a foot or two of tho railway bridge girders, and tho flood obtained a lodgment on land from winch it will not bo free for eomo time. The fact that the river bed, •"VVaimnkariki North branch, is every year being, by the natural process, filled with silt, and the width restricted by willow planting, will be accountable for tho delayed drainage of the submerged properties. Kaiapoi town drains were receiving a certain amount of backwater from tho flood. Up to 6 p.m. . there had been no flooding of properties. A small quantity-of flood water backed into the dye-house at the woollen mills, as it has done on previous occasions. Tho flood waters wore out across Middle Island road to Clarkville, and a strong current made its way from Neevo's Corner, towards the South branch of the Waimakariri, via tho Kaikanui creek, a course which any overflow at the point named lias always been predisppsed to Tho heavy rain, which has sodden many of tho farm lands, and tho .floods will, it is feared, cause the resowmg ot many acres of grain crop «* *orth Canterbury. Some of the autumnsown wheat and oats, the latter for green cheep feed, had begun, to show above ground, and the land seemed to be in good tilth and in good heart. Thd disappointment and loss are accentuated by reason of the fact that floods invariably" bring down millions of seed 3 of noxious weeds. The traffic on the, Cheviot line yesterday was maintained, although a wash-out wae threatened between Ethelton and Greta Creek. . Tho Ashley river rose yesterday morning to within a foot of the bearers or the roadway of the old traffic bridge, between Rangiora and Ashley. By 4 p.m. it had subsided about a toot, and no danger was apprehended. ■ Tho mails for Loburn from Kangiora yesterday were taken over the Makckirikiri.' The mails from Kaiapoi for Saltwater Creek were not delivered, in consequence of tho flooded state of tho road at tho Ashley bridge. Tho traffic on tho Itangiora-Oxford lino, although threatened by flood at Bennett's, Oust, and near Fernside, is not likely now to suffer any interroptidn.

The south branch of the Waimakariri was not materially affected by yesterday's flood.

Mr W. Haigh, whose farm is near tho girder bridge, Kaiapoi. was yesterday a loser by tho flood damaging his grain stored in sacks.

Trains last evening were ran very alowly on the North line for about two miles at Flaxton. where tho line was Hooded on both sides, as well as when crossing tbo North Waimakariri bridge. The Chief Postmaster advises that in the Waiau district rain has fallen almost continuously from 9 a.m. on Thursday, but now shows signs of breaking. The rivers aro receding, but the coach will not bo able to cross the Conway and Lottery rivers. The north coach did not leave Waiau yesterday morning.

Our Winchester correspondent writes: The land between and adjoining tho Waihi river and tho Winchester creek is covered to ;i greater extent with water than it has been for years. The weather has now (Friday afternoon) cleared; 3.50 inches of rajn fell since Wednesday.

There Jiad not boon seen such a flood in the Eyrcr for many years. The water rose to the height* of the bridge, into tho Warren homestead, and the railway bridge over tho name river, on the railway line to Sheffield, was not considered qpite safe for traffic, ami the train was held up. At Cust tiki recent Hoods have been very .severe,, the valley being inundated, and the water rising to the bearers of the bridge. The rvcent rain i* the heaviest experienced in the Oxford district for many years, and some old settlers s:iy tney havy, never seen so much water about nor the rivers and creeks so ingh (says "Tho Prc«ss ?, correspondent). V u ' rami- gauge at the County touncri office registered 0.02 inches since Wednesday morning. Damage is reported in several places. The railway bridge over the Eyre is damaged, ; lnU o P r «*c'nted the train-getting through . ° The finrning over the Eyre I ."° »>arren is seriously damaged. A has occurred at Mr «• *. Henderson's, isolating the home- ;,„ ; ■ Reports have come in of dam«ue to fords, and wash-outs of a less ~? r i° as "ature. In many places the w-axer-Trae up to the houses, nnd.in tto'* 1 *?* 5 lt Sot inside. Fortunately , jor stock there has been no wind, and cnc has been mild. The

I weather at-time of writing p.m. ! Friday) is still threatening. Heavy rain sot i:i «t Temuka on Wednesday." and continued through the night' and all d.n- yesterday. The Tonmka river overilowtvi its banks in tlu> region t>f xhc Presbyterian manse and. sweeping across the intervening paddocks, inundated tho mam road. The water continued to rise, and by 10 o'clock on Thursday had parsed tho Star Hotel and was approaching the Post Oftk'C There were seven lovt of water in the lower part of King street. .Tho whole of t!n> fiat crowed by .Manse road was a sheet of water which covered the saloyard and spreading across Vine street lapjMMl tho rour of the business places on tin* west side of King street. Jinppily there wor<* no casualties, but groat damage was done to hum lands, and some stock was reported as being lost.

A brief spoil of mild wcalher ai the beginning of the week was followed by a. stiff si>ii'-w<>stpi- on "Wednesday aftornwn (says our Darfiold correspondent"). Heavy rain set in about "j p.m.. and. by 9 a.m. on Thursday morning, two inches of rain was recorded at l>ar!\eld. During Thursday tho wind worked round to tho south-oast, and tho heavy rain continuing, another 1.40 inches of rain was rojzistorod for tho following 24 hours. Many of the roads throughout the district :\r<.» under water, and thu "Waiaroka. Hawkin's, and Selwyn rivers are heavily flooded, and aro unfordable. Tho Wnimakarir.i is also flooded, and very dirty. Tho weather c-n tho hills Ims boon very rough. A considerable quantity of snow is falling. All outdoor work lies been stopped and. owing to tho thorough soaking the ground has received, it- will bo several days before farm work can bo taken up agnin.

ASHBUETON

Heavy rain fell again at Ashburton for some time during Thursday night, but the weather gradually cleared yesterday. The total fall from noon on Wednesday to ( J a.m. .yesterday was 3.45 inches. Tho Ashburton river, which was in high flood on Thursday night, had gone down considerably yesterday niorninjr, but th<» flood in tho Hinds was front bank to bank, and long stretches of the road past Timvald through to Hinds were quite impassable, except with a good horse and a highwhoeled vehicle. A good deal of water was lying about tho Hinds township. The road leading up from Hinds in the direction of Lismore was wholly submerged for a long distance, and. large bodies of water were lying about in the paddocks. Tho northern approach to tho bridgo over tho Hinds river, on the Maronan road, was washed away, and considerable damago was done near what is known as the Black Bridge, Surveyor's road, in tho Longbeaeh district. Both these "bridges have been closed against traffic for the present.

IN SOUTH CANTERBURY

(PEESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) TIMATtr, July 12. Tho rain ceased at about 2 a.m., the total fall at Timaru during tho storm being 3.G7 inches. A good deal of anxiety was felt at Tomuka last night, as tho river rose to high flood level, and several families had to remove from their dwellings in tho low-lying part, of the borough. The water was also over tho railway lino between Timaru and Studholme, but no material damago was done. A good deal of laud along the const was submerged, all the lagoons being full to overflowing. Fortunately the rain was warm, and stock did not suffer much by the storm. To-day has been clear and bright.

Our Dnnedin correspondent states that the weather shows signs of clearing in the south. f Tho Taieri river is high, and farmers are removing their fitock to high levels, but the flood is not likely to bo as serious as .the previous ones havo been.