SEVERE STORM

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 38, 15 February 1933, Page 10

SEVERE STORM

THUNDER AND RAIN

WELLINGTON BEARS BRUNT

COMMUNICATIONS CUT

The storm that moved on to New Zealand yesterday seems to have picked upon Wellington as the chief target for its iury, supplying the city in turns with a wind of gale force, very heavy rain, and a thunderstorm of exceptional severity. The lightning played havoc with electrical communications and seriously interrupted the telegraphic service between the two islands. The weather in Wellington yesterday morning was fine, but during the afternoon skies rapidly became overcast and drops of rain fell occasionally. All the time a strong northerly wind was blowing and it increased to gale force. Heavy showers commenced to fall in the city at 7.20 p.m., and continued at intervals throughout the night. Bound about 10.30 p.m. thece were flashes of lightning, but the thunderstorm did not really break until about 5 o'clock this morning, continuing for about two hours. When the storm was overhead, between 5.45 a.m. and 6.15 a.m. the lightning was very vivid and the thunder peals loud and long. At this time the rain was particularly heavy, 36 points being recorded at Kelburn in the fifteen minutes between 5.40 and 5.55 o'clock. The total fall was one of 77 points, but in Lower Hutt, where the storm was felt less severely, only 29 points fell. The strong northerly wind accentuated the' fury of the elements, gusts frequently reaching gale force. Two gusts of a,velocity of 60 miles an hour were recorded at Kelburn, one at 9.6 p.m. and the other at 3.42 a.m.- The run of wind for the 24 hours ending 9 a.m. today amounted to 575 miles. The heavy rain and wind did considerable . damage to gardens and to insecure fences and outbuildings, while the lightning interfered with electrical installations. CABLES DISORGANISED. Tho most' serious interference was with the cables^running from Wellington to the South Island. Fuses were blown out at the shore ends of the cables and the service was temporarily interrupted. Linesmen, however, were out early repairing the damage. ' The west coast and Masterton lines were also interrupted, and over the northern part of the South Island, more particularly along the east;coast, there was interruption in telegraphic communication. . i . It is many years since Wellington has experienced such .a" severe thunderstorm,, anfl it was to Wellington that this morning's storm was chiefly confined. Some Eastbourne residents assert that the lightning played various tricks, such as disappearing into the road in the form of a ball, but whether that is . really so or ■is merely the product of. an electricallystimulated imagination, no damage seems to have been, done, and there is no report of anything - having been struck by lightning. Damage to some trees, obviously done by the boisterous wind,-has been hastily put down to lightning.. .- By 9 o'clock this morning the weather was "progressively clearing, and- the wind, although still strong,'had moderated , somewhat. The auxiliary scow Echo, which left Wellington at 8 o'clock last night for Blenheirii, was forced to put back into the- harbour on account of bad conditions outside the Heads. A strong northerly wind was blowing, and a heavy sea was running, which obliged the Echo to shelter in Worser Bay until today. She left for Blenheim again after noon, and will now return to Wellington on Friday instead of tomorrow, as formerly scheduled. TODAY'S FORECAST. The forecast issued at noon . today promises a continuation of moderate to strong north-westerly winds, which will back _ to the west, a south-westerly direction being in evidence in parts of the South Island. Unsettled weather will continue in districts with a westerly aspect. Further rain is likely, with heavy falls on the west coast of the South Island. In eastern districts the weather for the most part should be fair, although shoWers may extend there later. Temperatures will continue mild. The storm was very similar in characteristics to the one which visited the Dominion last weekend, except that Wellington fared differently.' The rain which it _ brought was cinfined chiefly to_ the high country and western districts, with, some heavy falls occurring on the west coast of the South Island, where some rivers are in high flood, nearly six inches of rain having fallen yesterday and last night, at Arthur's Pass. Strong north-westerly winds have prevailed, gale force being reached in'many places. Over the southern portion of the .South Island a temporary change to south-westerly winds set in during yesterday evening. Auckland had a fine day yesterday. Although the 'weather there has been cloudy to overcast since last night, no rain has fallen. A fresh north-west-erly wind has prevailed in the northern city. . The strong north-westerly wind which prevailed in Christchurch yesterday died away during the afternoon, and in the evening there was a partial change in wind direction. The weather became threatening, and a few light showers accounted for a trace of rain. Dunedin's weather yesterday was cloudy but fine. Some light rain fell there last night, and in the evening there was a temporary, grange 0 f the wind to the south-west. ' ...