STORM ABATES

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 257, 28 July 1939, Page 11

STORM ABATES

Snow Begins To Thaw In Dunedin SUPPLIES ARRIVE Transport Services Being Restored By Telegraph—Press Association. DUNEDIN, July 27. The snowstorm, which has swept the city and province for the last three days, abated today, and, with the rise in temperatures, a thaw set in, turning streets and footpaths into a mass of dirty slush that added to the discomfort of citizens, but made easier the task of those clearing the streets of' heavy snow. Essential services are slowly being returned to normal. Except for the Anderson’s Bay and Caversham lines, electric trams were run on all routes today, though hill suburbs are still without transport. The main north and south railway lines were cleared of snow, and trains were dispatched to both Christchurch and Invercargill. The mam south road is now negotiable for traffic, but the north road is still blocked by heavy drifts, and will not be open for traffic till after the weekend. The danger of a shortage of food in the city has now been lessened. Fresh meat was brought in from the abattoirs today and though the milk supply must necessarily remain short till the communication with outlying districts is completely restored, many householders received some milk today for the first time since Monday. There is a similar position with regard to fresh vegetables, but supplies of cabbages and cauliflowers are expected from Taieri tomorrow.

During last night a big glass fernery at the Dunedin Botanic Gardens collapsed under the snow,. being completely ruined. There will be no south-bound planes for some days because of the condition of the Taieri airport.

All Otago and Southland coalmines are closed, and coal is being delivered in single bags. There is alsq some rationing of milk. Waterfront work was resumed after ships’ hoses had cleared the wharves. The steamer Storm is to take mails north to Oamaru, whence they will be transferred to a train. Up till Wednesday, night Central Otago appeared to have escaped the worst of the storm, but the weather then broke and heavy snow fell. Today all roads were blocked, isolating the hinterland from the coastal districts. FELL 35 FEET Man Clearing Snow Killed By Telegraph—Presa Association. DUNEDIN, July 27. A' death indirectly attributable to the snbw occurred today, when a workman, who was clearing snow from the roof of Penrose’s in George Street, fell 35 feet through a skylight and was killed almost instantaneously when his head struck a counter at the bottom of his fall. He was William Cooper, aged 36, whose parents reside at Loehiel, near Winton. He had been an employee of the Love Construction Company for some time, and, with Robert John Love, foreman of the cor uany, he had clambered on to the roof in order to clear the skylight of snow. The two men had completed the work and Mr. Love turned his back on his companion for a moment in order to return to the ground. He heard a sudden crash and looked round to find that Mr. Cooper had fallen through the skylight they had just cleared. The incident occurred some time about 1 o’clock, and. when Mr. Cooper was taken to hospital, it was found that he was dead, the injuries indicating that death must have been practically instantaneous. MEN WITHOUT FOOD TWO DAYS Banks Peninsula Cut Off By Snow HEAVY LOSSES OF STOCK IN STORM By Telegraph—Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, July 27. It will be many days before farmers on Banks Peninsula can obtain even a rough idea of the heavy losses of stock caused by this week’s snowfall, and it will be nearly a week before the drifts which have obliterated roads and fences under 20 feet and more of snow can be desired away. The plight of peninsula farmers, and the difficulties of those who have the task of restoring road communications in the district, were made apparent to reporters and photographers who motored to Little River today and tramped from there to the Hilltop—the first party to reach there froin the city for three days. After a temporary improvement in the weather this morning, the peninsula was swept again by a south-west gale in the afternoon. Fortunately for those farmers who had the unpleasant tasks of carrying feed to stock and retrieving snowbound sheep, there was no further snowfall in the day, but this evening heavy hail and sleet showers made the outlook far from promising. Fifteen feet of snow covers parts of the main highway to Akaroa, and practically the whole of Banks Peninsula will be isolated for several days. Settlers in outlying districts will be in a bad way, for they have received no fresh food since Friday. Sixty men in the Public Works camp near Duvauchelle bad been without food for two days till a launch arrived with supplies from Akaroa this morning. At Little River a rapid thaw set tin today, increasing the possibility of

a serious flood. An attempt will be made to open Lake Forsyth tomorrow. Today the weather had cleared on the peninsula, though Hill Top was still having occasional snow and sleet showers.

The steamer John Anderson left Lyttelton this morning with food for the eastern bays, which are isolated. Lake Ellesmere, which yesterday almost blocked road traffic at Kaituna, had receded today with the slackening of the south-west gale which had banked the waters up over tne highway. Washouts still block the railway line at Birdling’s Flat and Kaituna. The storm which had raged over the peninsula for three days struck Christchurch last night, a fall starting about 6. o’clock and continuing in fierce squalls till the early hours of the morning. In the southern parts of Christchurch upward of three inches of snow lay on the ground this morning. In the northern suburbs the fall was not so heavy. HEAVY SNOWFALL IN MANAWATU Unparalleled In 20 Years Dominion Special Service. PALMERSTON N., July 27. With a further fall of snow in the Manawatu area this morning, conditions in both Manawatu and Rangitikei this week are unparalleled in more than 20 years, and in . some districts 30 years or longer. Following a clear moonlight night with frosty conditions, the weather changed about 4 o’clock this morning and snow fell for about two hours. The fall was considerably heavier than on Tuesday though not so widespread, and. in the Palmerston North area practically none fell on the seaward side of the Bunnythorpe-Kairanga road. Through snow falling on roads and footpaths already heavily covered with a frost of about 10 degrees, conditions for motorists and pedestrians in the earlier hours of the morning were extremely dangerous; So bad were conditions in some streets of Palmerston North that extra police and traffic officers were placed on duty in the Square to warn drivers to slow down. There were many cases of cars skidding, and taking corners more than one car turned right round. Conditions for cyclists were even more dangerous. Miss A. Bailey, Park Road, received a fractured wrist as a result of her bicycle skidding. Portions of the lagoon at Awapum were frozen over and did not thaw till well on in the morning. Water cisterns and taps were frozen, in many cases even taps from hotwater systems being affected. With the exception of the Kairanga district lambing is not yet general In the Manawatu and Rangitikei areas. Mr. W. A. Thomson, Kairanga, who already has 1500 lambs on his place, said tonight that so far he had experienced very few losses of either lambs or ewes, for which the generally dry condition of the country was responsible.

Considerable snow fell in the Manawatu Gorge this morning, but the fall in Woodville and in the Apiti district was practically negligible. The temperature was distinctly warmer in Palmerston North tonight, and there were prospects of an improvement to the weather. It was reported today by the Automobile Association (Manawatu) that the Taihape-Ohakune road is impassable, except to experienced drivers, and with the use of chains. A similar position exists in respect of the Oha-kune-Raetihi road. A small Slip came down in the Manawatu Gorge last night, but traffic was not interfered with for long. WORST SNOWSTORM SINCE 1918 Phone And Power Services Affected In Wairarapa Dominion Special Service. MASTERTON, July 27. The worst snowstorm recorded since 1918 was experienced throughout the Wairarapa last night. In Masterton six .to ten inches of snow fell, and in some country districts a foot to 18 inches. In Tinui there were six inches, and the snow reached to the water’s edge at Castlepoint. Some damage was caused to telephone poles in one or two areas. Several poles in Gladstone and in Park Road, Carterton, were broken, and about 60 rural telephone lines were out of order this morning, the trouble in . most cases being caused by snow on insulators causing a leakage to earth. Several crews were dispatched first thing this morning to restore services. The areas affected included Gladstone, Te Wharau, Weraiti, and Mount Bruce. Interruptions also occurred in power services throughout the Wairarapa, safety fuses being blown out on transformers because of snow causing short circuits. Several power lines at Manaia, and Upper Plain, were broken. Longbush and Ponatahi were the only areas still without power at 11 a.m. Some difficulty was .experienced in locating the trouble because of the conditions on the roads. Attendances at Masterton schools this morning were seriously depleted. Last night’s snow has added considerably to the anxiety of farmers, as, coming after previous falls in the country area, it is almost sure to have serious consequences. The full effects of the present conditions will only be known when the lambing season is at hand. Though the Rimutaka Hill road is not in such a bad condition as it was a week ago, it is advisable for motorists to use chains.

The service car from Castlepoint to Masterton this morning was held up by big snowdrifts on the Whakataki Hill, and was unable to continue its journey. The Longbush and Martinborough cars were also unable to get through to Masterton. Carterton and district Is heavily coated with snow, in drifts it is feet deep, and in the open it is three inches thick. Greytown reports six inches of snow in the main street. SOUTHERN HAWKE’S BAY SHIVERS AGAIN Anxious Week For Farmers Dominion Special Service. DANNEVIRKE, July 27. Southern Hawke’s Bay again shivered this morning in bitterly cold weather. Early in lhe morning bail and snow fell, but were soon dissipated by the wind. The ground was frozen hard and deeply and car traffic found difficulty. About Norsewood deep drifts of snow necessitated the use of graders.

The day was generally fine and clear with a bitter wind from the Ruahlne

ranges. All the high country had received a fresh coating of snow. The past week has been particularly hard on stock. Farmers nearer the ranges are anxiously awaiting the thaw and milder temperatures. In country districts this morning icicles two feet and more in length hung from trees and banks. FIRST SNOW FOR 23 YEARS IN LEVIN Dominion Special Service. LEVIN, July 27. Residents of Levin were taken by surprise this morning when they found the surroundings a sheet of white. On two occasions during the recent cold spell the foothills have been covered at unusually low levels, but this is the first time for 23 years that snow has descended to the flats. SNOW IN AUCKLAND Loss Of Calves Likely In District Dominion Special Service. AUCKLAND, July 27. For the first time since meteorological records have been kept in Auckland, snow lay on the heights around the city this morning, and there was even a sprinkling on some of the lower levels. Constables report a light fall in the city itself at an early hour, and some workers early on their way to their employment had the unique experience in these latitudes of having their clothing thinly coated with flakes. However, in the lower areas the snow melted as soon as it touched the ground. The visitation was not the result of what might be called the tailend of an Antarctic blizzard, but of what meteorologists call a “cold front.” This encompassed the city between 3 and 4 a.m. and created Conditions favourable to snow reaching levels where the temperature is rarely indicative of snow. It is explained by meteorological authorities that, while the temperature must be in the vicinity of freezing point to allow snow flakeg to reach ground level, there is no definite limit In the case of hail, temperature limits of the ground level are much wider, seeing that hail forms in cumulus clouds, and, after an upward movement, falls at a speed faster than it can melt. An early-rising Onehunga resident was so captivated with the snow scene that he roused his family and took it through the Ness Valley. On the Maumaukai Heights above the valley snow drifts were still lying at midday. There also remained signs of a fall at Clevedon and on the Otau Range as late as 10 o’clock. Seeing that most dairy herds are now coming into profit the mortality among calves Is likely to be high. In the Hunua district, three calves, born during the night, were found dead. At Waiatarua, about the highest point of the Watakeres, dawn found a coating of about two inches of snow, and those who had an early view from the crest of the range looking south and east state that the scene was memorable. All heights within vision, including Bombay Hills were white. At Titirangi, several hundreds of feet lower than Waiatarua, snow fell, but not in sufficient quantity to reifiain on the ground for any length of time.