SPECTACULAR STORM

Evening Star, Issue 22261, 12 February 1936, Page 8

SPECTACULAR STORM

EERIE ELECTRICAL VISITATIM THUNDER BOMBARDMENT Blinding flashes of lightning and ominous roars of thunder around 9.15 last night presaged one of the most violent and spectacular electrical storms experienced here for many years. Such an occurrence is indeed rare for Dunedin, especially coming at night, when its frightening effect was magnified. Landscapes and buildings were momentarily etched in eerie brilliance, _ before the whole was plunged again into Stygian blackness. Nerves were tautened by these fierce episodes, the effect of which was heightened by the loud rips and growls accompanying the rending of the heavens. And then came the rain. Suddenly huge drops spattered on roofs and pavements, which, within a few seconds, were transformed from a dryness engendered by a day’s sunshine to rivulets, which flooded gutters beyond their capacity. Water backed up at many points, and not a few city cellars to-day bore evidence of the inability of outlets to cope with the wall of water which descended on the city all in an hour. At times it rebounded fully a foot from the roadway. It was mainly a local coastal visitation, and it was fortunate that no service suffered on its account, especially the power supply, which is sometimes affected at such times. _ The electrical and telegraph authorities to-day reported no damage. Reservoirs showed little benefit from the rains to-day; it is rather soon for any material improvement in the storage to be noted. The total holding this morning was 117,691,000 gallons, or still 31,109,000 gallons short of capacity. The gain for, the last 24 hours was only 45,000 gallons. Rainfall recordings at the various stations were .37in at Ross Creek, ,34in at the Southern Reservoir, .25m at Sullivan’s Dam, and .65 on the official instrument at the Botanic Gardens.