NORTH AUCKLAND STORM

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25552, 21 July 1948, Page 4

NORTH AUCKLAND STORM

STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN

CANCELLATION OF AIR SERVICES

(P.A.) AUCKLAND, July 20. There were high winds and torrential rain in North Auckland to-day. Many main and secondary roads north of Whangarei were blocked by flood waters and slips, and there was flooding in Russell. The North Auckland air service from Auckland was cancelled and conditions at Auckland interfered with southern air time-tables. More than 1000 acres of land in the Hikurangi swamp area are under water and stock on low-lying farms have been moved to higher ground. Railway movements were not affected. Since rain began at Whangarei on Sunday the fall has been 4.49 in. Up to this morning the fall was 2.Win. and 2.3 in fell during the day. This is the heaviest, fall in Whangarei since April, 1947, when 5.86 in fell in three days. At Kaikohe the day’s fall was 2.14 in. Even heavier rain has occurred in other North Auckland, districts. The business and central residential area of Russell was flooded after continuous heavy rain. Although water did not enter houses goods were damaged in stores and the croquet, bowling. and tennis courts were all submerged. Gales lashed the Bay of Islands and the Russell-Paihia launch service was cancelled.

All roads from Whangarei to the far north were closed this afternoon. The South Hokianga area was also isolated. The weather cleared during the afternoon and reports late to-night showed that the flood waters were receding rapidly and that main roads .should be open to-morrow* morning. In Auckland strong winds and driving rain were experienced all day. South of Auckland rain was general over a wide area with high winds in western districts. Internal air services were seriously affected. Three flights from Auckland were cancelled and, after Whenuapai had twice been declared closed because of reduced visibility coupled with a high wind, three other aircraft bound for Auckland from the south were held at convenient airports and did not complete their journeys. Whenuapai later became serviceable, but this Was too late for flying from the south to be resumed.

CABINET MINISTERS DELAYED (P.A.) AUCKLAND, July 21. Two Ministers of the Crown, members pf their staffs, and a Maori member of Parliament were among those affected when bad weather ana floods interfered with flying in parts of Auckland £..d the north to-day. The Ministers were the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr W. E. Parry), who had hoped to fly from Rotorua to Wellington. and the Minister of Rehabilitation (Mr C. F. Skinner), whose aircraft, the newly-bought De Havilland Devon, was unable to leave an emergency landing strip at Kerikeri. Both reached Auckland this afternoon and left for the south in separate motorcars this evening. Mr Parry was to be driven as far as Rotorua, where he hoped to be picked up to-morrow by an aircraft. Mr Skinner and his party, including Mr T. P. Paikea, M.P., were bound for Te Awamutu and intended to continue to Wellington by road tomorrow.

HIGH WIND DAMAGES FLYINGBOAT DELAY IN DEPARTURE FROM AUCKLAND. (P.A.) AUCKLAND, July 20. High winds damaged the flying-boat New Zealand when the aeroplane was beiflg loaded at Auckland for Sydney this morning. A hatch cover was blown into the sea and the flying-boat was delayed for more than two hours while a new one was fitted. It finally took off at 10.5 am. Because of the cancellation of yesterday’s flight from Sydney, two flying-boats arrived at Auckland to-day.