A HEAVY DOWNPOUR

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 120, 17 November 1937, Page 14

A HEAVY DOWNPOUR

FALL GENERAL IN DOMINION

REAL RELIEF TO LAND

Wellington's threatened drought, which was. beginning to assume a serious aspect, was effectively broken last night when well over an inch of Warm and ■ soaking, rain fell. Other parts of the country, too, had some heavy falls, which will be just in time to avert catastrophe. The rain has been almost general throughout the Dominion, with heaviest falls on the West. Coast of the South Island, about, Cook Strait, and in the far south. Areas which have suffered most during- the recent dry spell have been afforded real .relief, and there are prospects of further rain to come. In Canterbury, on the east coast of the North Island, and in the inland districts of Otago falls so far have been only moderate, but other parts have had ■ a good soaking. The conditions in Wellington yesterday afternoon and evening were very dull . and- threatening. It certainly looked as if it ..was going to rain, but the pessimist maintained that it only presaged wind.' A little rain fell before midnight, but after • 4 a.m. today it really rained properly, and at times the rain was abnormally heavy. One of these occasions'was between 8 and 8.30' a.m. ' when suburbanites were hurrying -.o catch trains and in the process of so doing got thoroughly wet. Shortly after that the rain eased off. The gauge at' Kelburn, read at 9 a.m., showed a fall of 131 points. This is the biggest rainfall this year, and only oh'three other occasions during 1937 has Wellington had over an inch of rain ,in one dose. On January 15 there was a fall of 126 points, on May 9 one of 110 points, and oh September 22 .one of. 119 points. It is necessary to go back to August of last year to find a heavier fall. I

.Last night's^ rain came most opportunely. October produced a very scanty fall of less than one inch for the whole month, and November until last night had only produced 13 points spread over three days, not enough to do any good. As the average November rainfall in Wellington is 299 points, the month's present total of 144 points is still a long way below normal. The year's rainfall, too, is well below the average. From January 1 to November 30 Wellington's average fall is 39.37 inches. To date this year 29.51 inches have fallen, a deficit of nearly 10 inches. .

While, the rain was at its heaviest early this morning some minor flooding occurred in the city streets and in Lower! Hutt, but the water quickly ran off when the rain eased off.