North Recovering After Storm

Press, Volume C, Issue 29616, 12 September 1961, Page 14

North Recovering After Storm

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. September 11. Wellington began to return to normal today after the week-end’s southerly storm. The only road still blocked was Fortification road which runs along the top of the hill above Scorching Bay near the harbour entrance. There three large pine trees still lay across the road where they had fallen early this morning after a pounding by southerly gales.

Several cars were nearly crushed, two power poles broken, and the road blocked when the trees fell. Workmen began cutting up the trees at 9 a.m. today and the road is expected to be cleared by tomorrow morning at the latest. A small slip at the Hataitai entrance to the Mount Victoria tunnel was cleared by 10 am. today. The only casualty of the storm was a small pied petrel which was picked up exhausted at Island Bay today. The bird was taken to the Dominion Museum and revived by the museum staff. The director of the museum (Dr. R. A. Falla) said the pied petrel or cape pigeon had no difficulty living in the Antarctic but Wellington's sudden gales sometimes proved too much for them. Air services throughout the country were operating smoothly today and no closures were reported. Wellington Airport was open all day The weather outlook appears brighter with the wind and rain expected to decrease from tomorrow morning High Country Central high country districts from National Park to Waiouru shivered in a cold snap today. A strong southerly wind brought snow and freezing temperatures, breaking a fine spell of nearly three weeks. Snow blanketed the ground about two inches deep from Irirangi to the Desert road and west from Waiouru about half way to Obakune. Roads, although slippery, remained open.

National Park, where rain replenished empty tanks on Sunday, received a light dusting of snow during the morning. Pokaka and Horopito were covered to a depth of about half an inch. The ski-ing grounds at Mount Ruapehu also received a thin fresh coat. A 40-mile-an-hour wind, however, closed chairlifts and made ski-ing difficult. Snow was still falling lightly in the area tonight.