Wind Causes Break In Power Supply

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31597, 7 February 1968, Page 1

Wind Causes Break In Power Supply

Several hundred houses in the FendaltonUpper Riccarton area were without electricity for about two hours and a quarter early last evening.

A strong gust of wind—probably about 50 miles an hour—toppled branches on to an 11,000-volt. line In Weka Street at 5.30 p.m. The line was automatically switched off at the Fendalton sub-sta-tion and this interrupted the supply to 10 other sub-sta-tions.

Staff of the Municipal Electricity Department restored power at 7.42 p.m. The University of Canterbury site at Ham was not affected, as it is supplied from another circuit. The New Zealand Electricity Department had no reports of line damage anywhere.

According to the Meteorological Office at Christchurch Airport a strong , north-west-erly blew across Canterbury from 9.15 a.m. The avenge strength of the wind was 25 miles an hour, and a peak gust of 50 miles an hour occurred at 5.20 p.m. The temperature stayed in the seventies for most of the day. The maximum was 75 degrees at 3 p.m. The north-west weather did not cause any problems for

the North Canterbury Catchment Board. The Waimakariri River has been going down steadily since the storm on Saturday, and yesterday was only 18in above its normal level. There was no rain at Arthur’s Pass.

There were no reports of damage to fruit in orchards in the Heathcote Valley, but slight damage was done to nearly ripe fruit in one or two orchards at Loburn. One grower said that some peaches and pears were blown off, but that the damage was nothing to worry about.