HEAVY GALE SWEEPS DOMINION

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 185, 4 May 1936, Page 10

HEAVY GALE SWEEPS DOMINION

Widespread Minor Damage Reported FIERCE WINDS AND HIGH SEAS House Unroofed and Launch Wrecked at Island Bay Considering its extent as well as its force, one of the woist southerly storms ever experienced in New Zealand swept oyer t ic Dominion on Saturday. Temperatures dropped and gales ot extremely high velocity were recorded at many places k principal damage in Wellington was the wreck of a fishing lau . at Island Bay and the unroofing of a house in the same subur > Assisted by a high tide at midday, the waves swept over foteshore roads in exposed places, holding up traffic at Point Howaic for several hours and making the roads dangerous at other points. Ferry and bus services to Eastbourne were suspended. Heavy seas breaking over the seawall between Ngahauranga and I etone stopped Saturday afternoon rail services to the Hutt Vadey. brick chimney at the Wellington Public Hospital crashed through the roof of a ward and broke a pipe of the steam-heating system, patients having to be removed to another ward. Three were struck by falling debris, but not seriously hurt. Air services across. Cook Strait were cancelled, and one plane on the through service lost time between Blenheim and Christchurch, having to turn back to Blenheim from near Kaikoura. Sports fixtures weie curtailed considerably in Wellington. . . The storm interfered with shipping, the Maori not leaving Wellington for Lyttelton until 11 o’clock on Saturday night instead of 7.45, and the departure of the Matangi for Nelson was delayed from Saturday night until midnight last night. Wide- • spread telegraphic and telephonic disruption was quickly rectified, and all services had been restored by yesterday morning. The storm broke in Wellington during, the forenoon after a fine, mild night. Rain and hail fell at times. The southerly wind reached its climax shortly after noon, but moderated late in the afternoon, and yesterday was a perfectly fine day, although the air was still cold.