FLOODED RIVERS.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20909, 17 July 1933, Page 15

FLOODED RIVERS.

NORTHWEST RAIN IN PROVINCE. MILD TEMPERATURES GENERAL. VALUE TO FARMING DISTRICTS. The heavy north-west rain of Friday night, which caused a general rise in the rivers over the central portion of the South Island, and substantial flooding in a number of cases, eased off during the weekend, when drizzly but mild conditions prevailed throughout, Canterbury. Friday night's rain, being from the north-west, was heaviest in the inland districts and in the ranges of the Southern Alps. No less than 5.63 inches fell at Arthur's Pass in the 24 hours- ending at '■> o'clock on Saturday morning, and a result was a flood of nearly eight feet in the Waimakariri river.

A remarkable feature of Ihe weather during last week, and indeed through the whole winter. has been its exceptional mildness, and the warm rains of the last few days have been responsible for an appreciable burst of growth in the vegetable world. Early sown crops. particularly wheat, have benefited greatly in many Canterbury districts, and the belated growth of winter feed has done much to compensate for the ravages of the autumn drought. The week-end in Christchurch was an unsatisfactory one for sportsmen, and there were a number of postponements. All the Rugby matches except those in the senior grade were abandoned, while some of the lower grades in the League code were also postponed. The Railway Department's excursion to Lake Rubicon, which has been frozen over for some time, had to be postponed to next Sunday, as it was considered that the ground was too wet for the tramp and that the rain would have interfered with the skating surface of the lake. The BrackenfleJd Hunt Club's annual point-to-point meeting at Fernside, which was to have been held on Saturday, was also postponed for a week.

Fresh in Waimakariri. The fresh in the Waimakariri river was a substantial one, and its peak was nearly eight feet above normal. Circumstances prevented the Waimakariri River Trust and the Waimakariri Harbour Board turning the flood to advantage in the scouring out of the cut through the northern spit to the sea. Heavy seas during the previous day or two had swept a great quantity of sand into the seaward end of the cut, and the state of the tide was not such as to allow this to be scooped away before the arrival of the flood. Messrs H. W. Harris (engineer to the trust) and R. F. Joyce (chairman of the harbour board) visited the northern spirt and/ observed the effect of the flood water, but it was decided that no good purpose would be served by an attempt to open the cut during a flood of comparatively small volume. Mr Harris -'ted yesterday that no damage had been done by the flood, and the trust's works had all functioned satisfactorily. Wright's cut, the spillway of which had been lowered a fortnight ago, took about half the volume of water flowing in the north channel. The peak hours of the flood at the river trust's observation points were: Waimakariri Gorge, 1 a.m. Saturday (7.3 feet above normal); White's Bridge, 12.30 p.m. Saturday (7.8 feet); highway bridge, 12.30 p.m. Saturday (6.7 feet). Thqre was a steady fall in the level of the river on Saturday afternoon and yesterday, and by 5 o'clock la evening the river was only 2.7 feet above normal at the highway bridge. The river In the upper reaches had by then fallen back practically to its normal level. A Persistent Drizzle. Although the week-end was damp and altogether unattractive to followers, of outdoor sports, the actual rainfall was not very great. There were some fairly heavy showers on Saturday morning and the early part of the afternoon, but although the sky remained overcast and threatening there was ho further fall until the drizzle set in again during the night. Yesterday was again dull and overcast with misty rain during the morning. Nine points of rain fell' during Friday night, another nine points between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday, six points during Saturday night, and one point between 9 and 5 yesterday—a total for the week-end of exactly a quarter of an inch. Country districts generally reported similar conditions, although Culverden enjoyed fine and mild we..'her yesterday after a showery Saturday, and Cheviot also had no rain yesterday. A warm, drizzling rain on Friday night was expected to do a great deal of gooc' in the latter district. At Rangiora the drizzle ceased about midday on Saturday, but the weather remained dull and threatening, and most uf the sports fixtures in the borough had to be postponed. Misty rain fell in showers throughout the weekend at Oxford, but their intensity decreased as the week-end progressed, and there were only a few light falls yestrvday.

Evidence of Late Growth. The ruin that set in at Akaroa on Friday night continued until 6 o'clock on Saturday morning, when there was a bright interval until the drizzle set in again at 11 o'clock. Thre was no rain on Saturday night or yesterday, but the weather remained fogg, and damp. The growth engendered on + he peninsula by the warm weather and rain is reflected in the greenness 4 the hillsides, and the Akaroa correspondent of "The Pre6B," in supplying his weather report last evening, remarked that many Akaroa residents had been compelled to bring out their lawnmowers from winter storage. A light, mild rain fell at intervals during the week-end at Leeston, although there was a long spell of fine weather yesterday. A resi-

dent told "The Press" that the effect of the warm rains on early sown crops and green feed had been most marked, and growth had been maintained to an exceptionally late stage of the year, Ashburton reported that heavy rain had fallen on Friday night, a total of 54 points being recorded. A "Scotch mist" kept the district damp during the week-end. Nearly an inch of rain fell at Methven on Friday night, but there also it tailed off to a drizzle that persisted for the greater part of Saturday and Sunday. The Ashburton River. The Ashburton river was in heavv flood on Friday night and on Saturday morning as the result of the north-west rain melting the snow in the back country on Thursday, and the heavy rain on Friday, jn places the flood was almost bank to bank, reaching the highest level between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. on Saturday, when the water was more than three feet below the level of the 1927 flood. A considerable portion of the golf Jinks was covered with water, which flowed across the stock approach to the traffic bridge on the Tinwald side, near the entrance to the links, to a depth of a foot. It continued through the large channel under the main approach to the bridge surrounding the hut, which was recently built in the river bed by the Ashburton Hospital Board for itinerant men. Although the water did not reach the level of the floor of the hut it was deemed advisable to rescue the men who had spent the night there, with a horse and spring cart. Yesterday the flood had receded considerably.

ROADS SUFFER. | —■ i I TORRENTIAL RAIN ON WEST COAST. PART OF IIOKITIKA L.N'DIDIt WATER. (BPBCIAI< TO IXt. PBFSS.) GREYMOUTH, July 16. After a period of fine weather, with cold, frosty mornings and sunny days, the weather on the West Coast broke on Thursday afternoon, since when heavy rain has fallen, 6.40 inches having been registered at Greymouth for 72 hours to 9 o'clock this morning, made up of 2.28 inches on Friday, 3.68 inches on Saturday, and .44in \till 9 a.m. to-day. Although the low-lying portion of the town near Victoria Park was affected by the backing up of tidal water, the Grey river did not reach the danger level. ' A slip, estimated by the borough engineer (Mr A- J. Fairmajd) to contain about 300 yards of debris, came down on the Omotp road on Friday night about a quarter of a mile from Greymouth. Buses were held up, but cars were able to get through. The work of clearing away the slip was commenced yesterday morning by the borough staff. The slip oc* curred at a place where similar trouble has been experienced in the

past. One of the old fire sumps, which has not been used for years, collapsed at Blaketown, between Robinson and Rigg streets. The sump was a timbered shaft 20 feet deep, sunk to reach tide water. The sump is now to be tilled in. On the coast road slips took place near the four-mile camp near Westport, but the road was open again yesterday. A slip on Friday night at the ten-mile bridge, near the Briandale mine, was cleared yesterday. Road traffic to Otira was held up by a slip at Rocky Point, and numerous creeks were scoured out. Bridge Damaged. The most serious effect of the rain has been the damage caused to the Wainihinihi bridge. Two piles have been broken and one end of the bridge has dropped about four feet, j Telegraph linesmen were unable to proceed by motor beyond Waini-j hinihi on Saturday and secured horses there to take them to Rocky Point, where line trouble was lo- j cated, and where a slip had badly | affected the road. Some protective work recently carried out was washed into the Tcramakau river. It is expected that the road will be open about next Thursday. W. Tinetti, of Otira, had a narrow escape on Friday evening, while driving to Wainihinihi, his car being caught and partially buried by the slip at Rocky Point. Rapid action on the driver's part enabled him to escape injury. In > Reef ton and the Grey Valley considerable rain has fallen, but no damage is reported. Though warm temperatures prevailed, the absence of snow prevented a flood in the Inangahua river, Except for a washout at Totara, which prevented communication between Hokitika and Ross yesterday, the railway service was maintained. Hokitika Flooded. At Hokitika torrential rain fell on Thursday and Friday, more than 10 inches being recorded up to 9 a.m.! yesterday, 5.23 inches falling on Friday and 5.14 inches on Saturday to 9 a.m., resulting in the worst flood seen for years. Streets and property in the lower parts of the town were inundated, and several business premises, including McKay's, in Weld street, and Addison and McLeod's, in Hamilton street, suffered. Cass square was almost wholly under water yesterday, while the parish hall and All Saints' tennis courts were under deep water. The Hoki-tika-Kokatahi road was covered on Saturday to a depth of three feet, while the motor services to South Westland were suspended. Owing to the heavy rain a blockage toolc place on the road between Waimea and Stafford. All vehicular traflic was held up for some hours on Friday night and yesterday morning.

South Westland. Reports from South Westland yesterday stated that more than 20 inches of rain fell at Waiho. The telephone service was disorganised and one section of the Poerua road leading to the new settlement was badly washed out. Slips occurred on Mount Hercules and held up traffic temporarily. At Koiterangi the approach to the Murray creek bridge was washed out for 14 feet. On the Whitcombe road, near Jones's farm, a culvert scoured, blocking traffic Showery weather continued today. High seas prevented the Gael and the Te Araha from entering the Hokitika river. The Kartigi, from Auckland to Greymouth, was able to enter port to-day.