WIND AND RAIN UNPLEASANT CONDITIONS CONTINUE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 117, 19 May 1914, Page 8

WIND AND RAIN UNPLEASANT CONDITIONS CONTINUE

SHIPPING HAMPERED STILL A GLOOMY OUTLOOK. In Wellington to-day the weather has been the principal topic of conversation, and many faces seem to reflect the sombre conditions which prevail. People have come to take it for granted that on the morrow it will rain, They have become tired of the wind, and brightened considerably when the southerly lulled this^ morning. But the, hopes so raised will not be realised if the forecast of the Dominion Meteorologist (Mr. Bates) is borne out. Wellington has had a long spell of wet and windy weather, but it may be some consolation to know that overcast skies anH heavy winds have been general. Tho city has received a thorough soaking and a thorough buffeting, but seems little the worse for it. Hardly any damage, has been reported here. Not even a telephone wire is down, but at the same time several connections are faulty, owing to the fact that water has made its way into some of the cables. ( Slight inconvenience has* been caused in two or three quarters; that is all. REPORTS FROM NAPIER, AND GISBORNE. Other portions of the Dominion have nob fared so well. A message from Napier reports exceedingly rough conditions in Hawkes Bay and Poverty Bay, For a time communication to Gisbome was completely cut off. At 8.40 o'clock last night the Telegraph Office reported as follows :— "Napier has communicated with Gisborne ; doing fairly well on single wire. The whole day's work— urgents exeepted— on hand." To-day's report read: "Only one wire to Gisborne working single, several hundred messages on hand; no prospect of further outlets to-day." Shipping movements are impossible both tat Gisborno and Napier, and the Warrimoo had to overcarry passengers and cargo for both ports. The Zealandic, which was loading in the roadstead at Napier, had to put to sea for safety, and so did the Union collier Karon. The sea in Hawkes Bay was very heavy. All the rivers in the district are very high and stock has been removed to high levels. At Gisborne the south-easterly was of "exceptional severity," and a "tremendous sea was running on the coast." The steamer Ngahere broke away on one occasion, bub ! was safely anchored later. The Wairoa River rose 20 feet at Te Karaka, but no damage was anticipated, The railway services at Gisborne have been suspended owing to heavy slips and flood, and boats have been sent out to assist settlers. It was feared that 'the bridge at Mohaka would be washed away. The approaches have already gone. ! IN OTHER PARTS. The Post's Masterton correspondent telegraphed to-day as follows : " Heavy rain has been experienced throughout this district for the past few days. The rivers and creeks are in flood ? and the roads in the outlying districts have fluttered considerably from slips. No serious damage is reported." From various other parts of tho country — the North Island particularly— similar reports have come to hand, Dominant features have been the heavy rain on the East Coast and the hard frosts in tho South. Both wore ['VcJlfled by Mr. Bates.