HIGH WINDS ON COAST

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30079, 13 March 1963, Page 14

HIGH WINDS ON COAST

Lines Down At Greymouth

High winds on Monday night brought down service power lines in the South Beach-Paroa area near Greymouth. They were repaired yesterday. Then, between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. yesterday, the ParoaSouth Beach area was lashed by one of the heaviest hail storms residents could remember. The hail missed the Greymouth town area but, in the southern -area, hail stones were piled inches deep around fences. The storm blew across die Buller district from Monday night to late yesterday, but practically no damage to roads or railways was reported. Some Denniston miners lost another day's work when a slip on the Waimangaroa-Denniston road held up their bus tor a time. They were later sent home by the management. There was no interruption of electric power services but the repeater radio station at Cape Foulwind, 3YW, was out of commission tor a time because of a fault.

The motor ship Kaitangata arrived in the Greymouth roadstead but was kept outside the harbour yesterday because of rough bar conditions. She will berth when the bar moderates. Rainfall tor the 24 hours to 9 am. yesterday was 0.75 in at the Karo.ro climatological station. Most of the rain fell overnight with the heaviest showers in the early hours of yesterday morning when the high winds sprang up. In Blackball, there was torrential rain throughout Monday night and by yesterday morning I.7fiin of rain was recorded there in 24 hours.

MARQUEE BLOWN DOWN Trying Time For Women Women of the Anglican and Presbyterian churches at Glentunnel who provided refreshments for farmers and stock agents attending the ewe fair at Coalgate yesterday had a trying time. Mrs J. Milne, Mrs L. W. Beattie and Mr G. Marsh were just beginning to lay out the tables in a big marquee on the sale ground about 8.30 a.m. when a violent gust of wind from the northwest caused the tent to collapse over the tables, food, and three occupants. Mrs Beattie was scratched on the forehead and Mr Marsh across the back of a hand. The only other damage was to a bottle of fruit, which was broken. The women transferred their wares to an open shed and prepared to set up tables in the open, but the wind swung to the south and it began to rain. Pine needles and dust were blown over the food. Eventually the marquee was re-erected and operations were resumed in more comfortable surroundings.