Woolston Cut damaged

Press, 26 March 1986, Page 9

Woolston Cut damaged

The combination of a high tide and erosion of an earth dam was the probable cause of serious damage to the Woolston Cut on Monday night.

Water flowed under the 2m-high precast units lining the cut at the lower end of Connal Street, washing some away. The units had already been weakened by heavy rain earlier this month. Rain also fell heavily on Monday. The planned opening of the cut in May would now be delayed by weeks, said the Christchurch Drainage Board’s chief engineer, Mr Peter Hunt.

Monday’s downpour

was caused by a cold south-westerly front which covered the South Island. Christchurch City recorded 10.3 mm of rain, with 14.1 mm at the airport, but flood-stricken South Canterbury escaped with only 3.5 mm recorded at Timaru.

The cold snap brought Monday’s temperatures down from a city high of 22deg. to an overnight low of Bdeg. Snow coated the Canterbury ranges down to a level of 1200 m and frosts were expected to bring even colder temperatures last evening. However, the Meteorological Office said this did not indicate that a cold winter was in store.