TEN INCHES OF RAIN

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 68, 13 December 1939, Page 11

TEN INCHES OF RAIN

One Day’s Fall At Wainui

Readings furnished to the Wellington city engineer’s department by the caretaker at the Wainni reservoir show that the rainfall registered for the 24 hours to 9 a.m. yesterday was 10.19 in„ which is believed to be a record for that area. Nothing like that fall has ever been registered in Wellington city since records have been kept, but in southerly weather the fall in the Walnut Valley is always appreciably heavier than in the city, and, as a rule, is heavier than that recorded at Orongorongo, to the eastward. So heavy was the rainfall at Wainui that the scours were opened to allow the freest possible egress of water. There is always a certain amount of nervousness on the part of responsible officials during phenomenal rainfalls, for nothing can do more damage in a limited time than uncontrolled flood water. It can even eat into or undermine vast structural work, ordinarily secure. This time no damage has been reported from either Wainui or Orongorongo. The latter supply—which is piped direct to the Karori reservoir—was cut off on account of its muddy state, as it is not desirable to carry solids into the Karori basin. During the same 24 hours the rainfall recorded at the Karori reservoir was 6.5 in., and at Orongorongo 6,45 in.