Storm lashes Nelson

Press, 26 December 1987, Page 1

Storm lashes Nelson

and

TONY SMITH

GLENN HASZARD

By

An unseasonal storm lashed the Nelson province yesterday, making Christmas Day one of the wettest and wildest in recent times. Heavy rains and winds gusting up to 60 knots buffeted the region for most of the day, but the damage was minimal. The high winds downed an 11,000-volt high tension power line in Nayland Road, Stoke, about 2.30 p.m. and power was cut to the Nayland suburb and Monaco Peninsula for about two hours.

Residents in the Ruby BayTasman area, near Motueka, were without power for about an hour from 12.30 p.m.

The Nelson Fire Service was called to a house in Quebec Road, after a conservatory was

demolished by a wind gust. A spokesman said firemen "finished it off and tied it down” to prevent debris from being scattered.

A Meteorological Service spokesman said rain began to fall about 8.30 a.m. yesterday and continued for most of the day.

“We had a bad burst of 50 to 60 knot winds between 3.30 p.m. and 4 p.m.,” he said. Winds up to 70 knots were recorded in Marlborough. Visibility was down to between 2000 and 3000 metres for most of the day, but the Nelson airport remained open, although an Airways Corporation spokesman said conditions were marginal. No flights were affected by the weather.

Some minor surface flooding was reported in inner-city streets, particularly in the Van-

guard Street-Gloucester Street area which is prone to flooding. The Maitai River was overlapping its banks in the Maitai Valley, near the Waahi Taakaro golf course yesterday afternoon, but flooding there was minimal. Some branches had, however, been torn from trees by the wind. The Nelson Civil Defence officials were alerted yesterday morning because of fears that the high tide could lead to flooding.

The Automobile Association reported that in spite of heavy rain in the region, all roads were open. The storm had a minimal effect on the region’s major camping grounds. Both the Kaiteriteri motor camp and the Tahuna Beach holiday park reported little inconvenience to campers.

Two yachts, one of them a 6m vessel, were blown over on their trailers in Waikawa Marina near Picton yesterday. The smaller one’s mast was broken and the other one incurred side damage. The Picton police and others were kept busy retrieving small craft blown from their moorings. In Double Bay a 5m speed boat, which was moored, was flipped over by the wind. The State highway between Nelson and Blenheim was closed for a brief period yesterday afternoon because of surface flooding at Canvastown and Rai Valley. The North Bank road was closed overnight by surface flooding. In Picton a small part of the roof of a house blew away but the Blenheim police said there was no structural damage and the occupants did not have to leave.