SOUTHERLY STORM

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 271, 11 August 1943, Page 4

SOUTHERLY STORM

Rain And Heavy Seas At Wellington

VESSELS BREAK MOORINGS

Driven by a strong southerly gale which at times reached a velocity of more than 60 miles an hour, heavy seas were breaking on the more exposed sides of Wellington harbour yesterday. Conditions in the city, which was swept by fierce rain squalls, were bleak. Fairly big seas were coming over the railway line, along the foreshore at Ngahauranga and toward 9’etone. and for most of the day the electric signals were out of action. After nightfall rhe gale seemed to increas” in intensity, after blowing hard and steady for many hours. 'The 43ft. schooner-rigged boat To Ilongi, which is owned by Mr. 11. F. Lamb, Kliantlallah, broke her moorings in Evans Bay at about 10 a.m. She was on the southern end of the craft tied up there, and swung out as if heading straight for Ngahauranga, but the wind shifted and took her against the island extension of the slip wharf. She received a severe buffeting there for half an hour before she was picked up by the harbour board s - vessel Arahina, which had been dispatched to get her in tow, and she was brought in to the safety of the inner boat harbour. The 30ft. launch Olive parted her lines at Evans Bay at 3 p.m., but she was noticed by Mr. C. Headland, who went out a short distance in a dinghy, got a line aboard, and pulled her in to the yacht club jetty. While he was getting a heavier line to hold her she broke away again and this time he had a real battle in the dinghy to get her. He tied a heavy line round the piles by the jetty, went out. to intercept the drifting Olive, got the line aboard her again, and then pulled her in to make her fast. Heavy seas were running all the time. Though the sens at Island Bay were not exceptionally big, conditions there were very unpleasant with the gale coining in from due south, the worst quarter. However, the light craft anchored there were reported to be riding well. Neap tides assisted the situation.. Though the weather was striking in at Wellington from practically due south, it was south-easterly over most of the province. It was blowing very strongly m Petone and Lower Hutt last night