GALE WHIPS UP HIGH SEAS

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27663, 20 May 1955, Page 14

GALE WHIPS UP HIGH SEAS

Sumner Foreshore Undamaged NORTH-EAST GUSTS UP TO 57 M.P.H. A stiff north-easterly wind, with gusts up to 57 miles an hour, whipped up the sea off Sumner yesterday, and at high tide early in the afternoon it sent white-capped breakers crashing into the Christchurch City Council’s new protective works along the edge of the beach. Residents said the sea was the most violent since March last year, when the water broke up the retaining wall, streamed across the Esplanade, invaded properties opposite the beach, and entered the beach-side tea-rooms at Scarborough. After inspecting the beach soon after high tide yesterday, Jylr G. F. Allen, president of the Sumner Residents’ Association, said that the new protective works appeared to be holding well. The new protective barrier consists of rocks backed by a sloping clay bank. Where the barrier slopes away most gently the effectiveness of this defensive system was most clearly seen. Looking down from the Taylor s Mistake road, a reporter saw the high seas breaking up gradually, just east of the Sumner Surf Life-saving Club’s pavilion, and the spent waters draining back into the sea. Near the tea-rooms at the Scarborough end of the beach, where the seas were striking a vertical wall, the spray shot into the air and topped the wall, causing some minor flooding around the apparently unoccupied tea-rooms. Through the western windows of the tea-rooms, the reporter could see that some water had seeped into the premises. Minor Flooding Early in the afternoon, there was some wind-driven spray water lying on the Esplanade at Head street and Menzies street, but it was of only minor proportions. . From the end of Humphreys drive to Sumner, the sea was running high at full tide, and at several points the road was damp with sea spray. Vegetation in gardens along the sea front at Sumner was coated with salt spray, and the windows of houses were misty. During the afternoon, several lorry loads of rubble w6re dumped on the beach west of the surf club pavilion, and a bulldozer was working on the sea wall. The City Engineer (Mr E. Somers) said that this was normal work, and not of an emergency character because of the high seas. The north-easterly wind that reached near gale force at times yesterday began to blow in the early hours of Wednesday morning. By noon on Wednesday, it was averaging 20 miles an hour, and it maintained that velocity until 6 a.m. yesterday, when its force increased steadily until between 10.30 a.m. and 11 a.m-, when it was averaging 37 miles an hour. However, the peak gust of 57 miles an hour was recorded at 9.45 a.m. Later, the wind dropped again, and at 4 p.m. it was back to about 19 miles an hour. The wind was then backing to a more northerly direction. and there were prospects of north-westerly conditions, with the temperature exceeding 70 degrees during the afternoon. According to the weather office at Harewood, there were steady northeasterly winds throughout the country yesterday. The strongest gust—od miles an hour —was reported yesterday morning from Kaikoura. Top average wind speed at 9 a.m. was 57 miles an hour at Cape Reinga, in the far north. At Nugget Point, between Invercargill and Dunedin, the average wind speed at the same time was 52 miles an hour. Lines Brought Down The wind caused some minor faults on the Post and Telegraph Department’s Christchurch-Rangiora toll circuits, and the telephones of 200 subscribers in the Christchurch city area were put out of order. Most of these interruptions were caused by twigs and branches of trees touching lines. The Christchurch Municipal Electricity Department and the Riccarton Borough Council’s electricity department had no interruptions to service, but in the Heathcote county a service line was brought down in Dyers Pass road, and a pole and a line fell at the top of Dyers Pass road. Because of the prevalence of wind damage, the council plans to begin underground reticulation in this area. There was only minor damage to trees in Christchurch. In Hagley Park, north-west of Riccarton avenue, a big willow was split by the wind. It will probably have to be removed At Kaikoura, the fishing launch Pearlene, owned by Mr A. Colville, broke her moorings at the old wharf and was driven up on to Jimmy Arbers Beach, but was undamaged. A bulldozer was used to push the launch off the beach into safe waters. The north-easterly reached a peak of 65 knots at Kaikoura, and averaged 60 knots for three hours. Three power lines were brought down, but the power was off for only 20 minutes.

GALE IN DUNEDIN (New Zealand Press Association) DUNEDIN, May 19. Gaining strength overnight and this morning, a gale caused widespread damage in Dunedin. There were power breaks in Wakari and Maori Hill, and telephone toll circuits between Dunedin and Southland and Central Otago were severed by a fallen tree near Green Island. Part of the roof of the main stand at Carisbrook was lifted off the

both. and fences were blown down in some suburbs. The departure of a tanker from the Dunedin oil berth was delayed. Inver-cargill-Taieri air services were cancelled.

HIGH WINDS ON WEST COAST

POWER SUPPLY TO MINE DISRUPTED (From Our Own Reporter) GREYMOUTH, May 19. Damage resulted today in Westland from gale force winds which reached 50 miles an hour about mid-morning. A tree was blown down at the Nine Mile and in falling smashed a pole carrying power lines to the Strongman State coal mine. With the haulage system out of action and the "ventilation fans stopped, men had to be withdrawn from the mine about 10.30 a.m., but line repairs were effected by this afternoon in time to enable work to resume with the dogwatch tonight. Wind tore a capboard and sheets of iron from the roof of the Opera House in Greymouth, whirling pieces of iron down Tainui street. Waterfront work was suspended this morning when the high winds made it dangerous to load coal and timber into the two vessels in port, but loading operations were resumed this afternoon. The strong northerly winds have caused rough seas on the Greymouth bar, and have built, up the water depth in the harbour. The depth today was almost two feet greater than that of yesterday.