Westerly gales reach 176km/h

Press, 26 November 1982, Page 1

Westerly gales reach 176km/h

Westerly gales roared across the South Island again yesterday, causing the first damage in Christchurch during the long windy spell. Traffic was held up when a tree fell on the road at the junction of Barrington Street and Cashmere Road early last evening. Power lines were brought down in Antigua Street and in Garreg Road, Fendalton.

Several other trees in parks and reserves round the city succumbed to the winds.

They included a lime tree, 80 years old and 35m tall, which split in half and fell near the tea kiosk in. the Botanic Gardens.

At the University of Canterbury Observatory on the exposed top of Mount John, beside Lake Tekapo, the winds reached a peak of 96 knots (176km/h), and averaged between 80 knots and 90 knots.

“We are getting a little tired of it, after three weeks,” said a staff member at the observatory, last evening. There had been no damage, however, and the winds had moderated by nightfall.

At Arthur’s Pass, the westerly had blown all day up to 70 km/h, said a spokesman . for the Arthur’s Pass National Park Board.

The strongest gust re-

corded at Christchurch Airport was 53 knots. Very strong winds were blowing in the Oxford and Rangiora areas last evening. The women’s toilet block in the Ashley Gorge Reserve was damaged-when part of a tree fell on it, and several trees were . brought down across the Ashley Gorge Road. ’

No respite from the winds is in sight, according to the Weather Office. The forecast last evening was for continuing westerlies, from gale force to storm force, in inland areas and extending towards the coast. The freezing level was down to 3000 m.