Wild Weather At Lyttelton

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31652, 11 April 1968, Page 22

Wild Weather At Lyttelton

Lyttelton was battered by heavy rainfall and violent gale-force winds all yesterday. There were gusts to 65 miles an hour from the southwest. No structural damage was reported.

Because of the turbulent conditions the Lyttelton Harbourmaster (Captain D. Holden) ordered the incoming tanker, Athelviscount, to anchor off the heads until the weather improved. She expects to berth this morning. Yesterday morning Captain Holden had the tug Lyttelton II alerted and prepared for an early departure for Wellington to assist the Wahine, but no call was made.

In spite of rough weather,

the interisland steamer Maori arrived at Lyttelton at her normal time from Wellington yesterday morning. It had not been necessary to reduce speed according to the master (Captain J. D. Cleaver). Although the tug Lyttelton n was in attendance during the Maori’s berthing her services were not required. Tug Used

The roll-on roll-off express cargo vessel Hawea, inward bound from Dunedin, had to use the tug to assist her into an awkward berth. According to the harbourmaster, the conditions at Lyttelton yesterday were the worst he had seen for a long time. (Launch services from Lyttelton to Diamond Harbour were cancelled yesterday afternoon on the orders of the harbourmaster.) Because of the heavy rainfall, no cargo work was done aboard vessels, apart from the roll-on roll-off vessels Maori and Hawea.

The Hawea’s sailing was cancelled yesterday afternoon and she is expected to leave for Auckland at 9 a.m. today. A power failure occurred at Lyttelton at 4.40 p.m. yesterday but it was restored two hours later. Train services were disrupted.