THUNDER AND LIGHTNING.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 40, 16 February 1907, Page 5

THUNDER AND LIGHTNING.

♦ / A .VIOLENT STORM. 'A VISITOR FROM NEW CALEDONIA. It is almost an " act of supererogation " to remind the public that there was a thunderstorm in • these parts early this morning, but it may be pardonable to give a little of the unruly visitor's biography. It was not a stranger in the gntes of the city. Several days ago, Captain Edwin watching the " disturbances " movements, and day by day there was a chart showing the track of tho storm. The movement came down from New Caledonia, and eventually traTersed the North Island, leaving a wake of floods as evidence of its influence Ultimately, Wellington was struck, ami then the tempestuous visitation passed to the east, missing the South Island. j, "It did not come to half what it ' »b]ould have done,"' remarked Captain Edwin, discussing the storm this morning. ""About the 11th February," he continued, •"' wb had evidence here that a disturbance of very considerable magnitude was approaching this country from New Caledonia, from the north-west. ' It passed to the eastward of Norfolk Island on the 12th, and the barometer fell to 29.58 ;■ the lowest pressure was about 150 miles to the noTth-east of Norfolk Island. The weather during the night of file 11th was very stormy, ivith fierce equalla from the eastward. On the 13th ' the disturbance continued its route to the sOilth-eaSt, and was then about 350 jniles north-nbrth-east from' the North Cape. As it progressed to the eastward, it caused heavy easterly gales and heavy tains over tho whole of the country#ying northward of the East Cape, Opotiki, Taupo, and Baglan, and on the 14th was about 250 miles to the noTth-east from Buesell. Yeslerday, at about noon, it was at about the same distance from the East Cane, and was still travelling eastward. The rain belonging to this disturbance fell over the greater part Of the N.orth Mand, but; tho south was BOt touched. The Tain ther.3 was owing to another distuTbanco approaching from the west. There is evidence to-day of tnother low pressure coming from* the north-west towards Cook Srait, and this has passed to the west of Norfolk Island. - The first sign of the pending storm was visible in a magnificent thundar clond over the Crongarong* range, between 6 and 7 o'clock last evening, but later tie sky over the city seemed to clear. Towards midnight sea-birds gave shrill and h?rsh warnings that something out of the common was coming along, and these prophets of good and evil were light in their forecast. At about 1 .o'clock the first flash of the elemental war lit up the landscape, and a few seconds later the artillerists of the clouds opened fire _ with a vigour that terrified many a timid woman, and man, too (if he ■would confess). "The battle thunders *hook the sleep"' from practically every slumbsror in the city; there was only •on© person, a young 'man, :vho assured a, reporter this morning that his dreams •were not disturbed by .the datter of the clouds, 'the peals, the roars, the bombardment that did not abate for a couple of hours. And the rain descended. All the rain in the sky seemc! to ba in a hurry to faU all at once. Those solid sheets soon iolved the* suburban householders' water SUTvnlr problem, and the rush of the tor. rents gsHffe^the, streets" A .thorough cleansing; ~ LooSely metalled roads on the elopes of hills were- scoured and scored as if a five-furrowed steam plough had been orer theih. ' Hie downpour amountad to 1.71 inch, up to 9 o'clock this /norning — the best in quantity, but ;not in quality, for a long time locally. At 1.40 there was a vicious "flash of lightning, a fact which waa/vividlv impressed on the operators" in/the Electric Syndicate's engine-room. The shock pulled the plant like, a big short-circuit, and passed off. The immediate result was the extinction of all the electric lights in the city, but the illumination revived itself automatically. At South Ilarori, however, the effect was more marked. There, says Mr. Mabin, manager for the ccJmpany, a bare main runs through the district, and it seems that tho lightning ployed on to that main. The public lights were put out, and private lattips *cro also given over to darkness. However, repairs will be an easy matter. It is intended to put up a lightning arrester as a safeguard for the fqbure. It was reported that telephones injthat locality had also been put out of action, but the Telegraph Department stated at 11.30 to-day that no news of damage had been received at headquarters. Extensiv^ damage was done by tho tain in the* Scoullar Company's premises, lambton-quay. The gutters ou the roof became bwckeu up, and could not carry off all the water. Consequently the excessive moisture worked its way tSrough the roof, and streamed down the walls, considerably "injuring goods iri the Manithester and linoleum departments.