Heavy Rain On West Coast

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31277, 25 January 1967, Page 14

Heavy Rain On West Coast

Nearly 21 inches of rain has fallen in parts of South Westland in the last three days, and it was still raining yesterday afternoon.

The highway has been closed by slips from the Franz Josef to the Fox glaciers, and 88 miles of road between the Franz Josef glacier and the Haast river bridge has been closed by slips caused by continuous heavy rain on Monday night and yesterday morning.

Eight inches of rain fell on Monday night at Fox Glacier. Rainfall for the last three days recorded at Paringa has been 7.35 in, 3.25 in and 10.15 in.

There is a slip at Robinson’s bluff, near the Maeraki river, and the Boulder creek bridge has been closed by a wash-out. The road to Jacksons Bay has been closed by a wash-out at the approach to the Arawata river bridge.

Yesterday afternoon hangers on the Fox river bridge were found to be unsafe, and the bridge was closed until further notice.

Ministry of Works teams have started to clear the road, but it could be several days before the work is comI pleted. More slips are expected if the rain continues. DRIVERS WARNED Rain bad caused a pretty grim situation, the resident engineer of the Ministry of Works for South and MidCanterbury (Mr E.j R. L. O’Toole) said in Tinraru last evening when warning motorists using the road to Pukaki and the Hermitage. It was still raining at 3.30 p.m., and Mr O’Toole said that motorists should be very careful.