A STRONG GALE

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 35, 10 August 1933, Page 12

A STRONG GALE

SOME FIERCE GUSTS

ONE OF 72 MILES PER HOUR

There was.small need today for "free air" notices outsido petrol stations, for Wellington has been getting all day a surfeit of free air. Yesterday's northwesterly wind, which was hardly more than moderate in strength, freshened during the night and by this morning gusts of gale strength were too frequent to be pleasant. A fairly heavy shower which fell early this morning had the effect of keeping the dust down, but even without dust the wind was decidedly unpleasant in its effects. "Wellington's spring draughts are early this year," was a remark which was overboard. Hat-chasing today became an exhilarating pastime, causing more amusement to onlookers than to participators. One lady's hat met with a sudden death at the hands of a tram wheel this morning. A particularly vigorous gust of wind just before noon removed quite a fashionable creation from the head of a lady as sho was crossing Willis Street, and an oncoming tram met tho rapidlytravelling creation. It was a sorry remnant that the conductor fished from under the wheel, and its owner was content to leave it in a rubbish receptacle. It is an ill-wind that blows nobody any good, however, for presumably a visit to a seller of hats was/the next step on the part of the hatless one. Another lady who was rash enough to put up an umljrella when a shower came on wished she hadn't, for it did not take a moment for the wind to deftly turn that intended protection from the elements inside out and literally to tear it to pieces. But, apart from 'such episode's—humorous as they may appear to the onlookers—such a strong wind as that experienced today has its dangers. To cross a street in the face of it means Battling along with bent head and hat well clapped over the eyes. To the unwary it means a possible collision with traffic. One elderly man was kneeked down by a motor-car this morning under circumstances like these when ,he was crossing Featherston Street. Fortunately he was unhurt, and the motorist and he were seen shaking hands before parting. ' Such a wind as today's plays havoc with insecure chimney pots, wireless masts, - and fences, and some minor damage in these directions has been reported. Linesmen are ready for immediate action to restore telephone or electric communications should their services be required, and as the gale is pretty, fierce in several parts of the country it is probable that they will have some repair work to do before the day is done. Fortunately for suburban gardeners, there is not much growing at this time of year which is tall enough to be damaged by the wind, but several trees and shrubs have fewer branches now than they had twenty-four hours ago. Shortly before noon there was a gust which registered 72 miles per hour at the Kelburn Observatory; and during tho afternoon there were other strong blasts.