THREATENED FLOODS

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28793, 14 January 1959, Page 10

THREATENED FLOODS

Heavy Rain In

North Island

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, January 13. . The threat of flooding hovered over the middle of the North bland tonight as heavy rain continued te foil on country already saturated over the last few weeks.'

Water was cutting across the Taupo-Turangi highway in two places. - At Taumarunui an all-night watch is being kept on a stop, bank in the suburb of Matapuna where floodwaters swept through during the disastrous floods last year. The weather forecaster said this ' evening that widespread heavy rain was expected in the middle Of the island. “The bad weather is moving very slowly eastwards across the province,” he said. “It is pivoting about Auckland.” The Waikato Valley Authority is watching anxiously the streams in the Waipa river area. The » streams are rising but no extensive flooding has yet been reported. In the Upper Mokau, 2.06 in of rain fell today. J 'Laire Taupo rose more than:,'three -inches in 36 hours and is ■• ” now within three inches of the ■ maximum control level. The lake is still rising. Road Passable* Both the Waimarlno and Tau-ranga-Taupo streams have’crossed the State highway south of Taupo. The road is still passable. The Taupo-Napier road is open but extreme care is needed in the hill country about 10 miles from Taupo. The road is wet and greasy. At Turangi, at the south end of Lake Taupo, 1.77 in of rain had fallen in the 24 hours up to 9 a.m. today. Another half an inch was recorded by 8 p.m. The Tongariro river was dirty and discoloured, rising steadily. Local residents said conditions were similar to those before the big floods last March.