HEAVY SNOWFALLS

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 February 1935, Page 5

HEAVY SNOWFALLS

STORMS IN BRITISH ISLES

LIGHTSHIP CREWS’ ORDEAL [British official wireless.] (Reed. February 26, 12.45 p.m.) RUGBY, February 25. ' Stormy weather continues throughout the British Isles. Heavy snowfalls have occurred in South Wales, and in parts of Southern England. The storms were accompanied by lightning and hail, and considerable damage was caused / Mountainous seas broke over Chesil beach, isolating Portland Bill from the mainland.

Vessels round the coast encountered extremely heavy weather. Several distress calls were answered by lifeboats.

After waiting for 12 days for relief, which was overdue because of the almost continuous south-westerly gales, the crews of four lightships off the Irish Coast, at Wexford, were brought ashore at Rosslare during the week-end. For 26 days, the men had been isolated* and their supplies of fresh food ran out, while the watersupply had to be rationed. The crews were only relieved at considerable risk, while heavy seas were still running.

SNOWSTORMS" IN EUROPE.

LONDON, February 25.

Sixty-miles-an-hour gales and blinding snowstorms have been experienced in many parts of Northern Europe, while the snow that has fallen in northern Britain has been the heaviest of the year. Many of the smaller ships in the English Channel and in the North Sea had hurriedly to seek harbour. PLANES FORCED DOWN. LONDON, February 25. Seven out of eight bombers belonging to the City of Glasgow auxiliary squadron were forced down in a blinding snowstorm. The Marquess of Clydesdale was commanding one flight of the bombers and his brother, Lord Douglas Hamilton, commanded the other. Four of the seven bombers were damaged, one of them striking a hayrick in Northumberland. Another bomber was forced to alight almost in the centre of the City of Edinburgh, but, fortunately, there were no casualties. , v RUGBY, February 25.

Despite the density of the storm, not one of the occupants of the bombers which wer eforced down in Northumberland was hurt seriously, although one machine, striking rough ground, turned over, the pilot and observer being badly shaken.

THUNDERBOLT AT AUCKLAND. [PEB PBESS ASSOCIATION.] , AUCKLAND, February 25. Phenomenal weather conditions have obtained in Auckland to-dav. There was a severe electrical disturbance early in the afternoon, and a thunderbolt caused a terrific detonation. , A young woman who resides at Grafton, and who was hanging clothes on the line, had an alarming experience. Her arms were numbed for several minutes by a charge of electricity, which was evidently caused by the thunderbolt. The residents of the Grafton district hastened to leave their homes. In one house, a woman had .placed a quantity of coal in a furnace operating a hOt water system immediately before the explosion. She thought, for a time, that a detonator had found its way into the fuel. , In Symond Street, a man who nad served in the Great War. was overcome at the soun dog the explosion. He quickly recovered. Some motor-cars which were travelling along Symond Street, past the Grafton Gull v halted when the detonation was heard, and the workmen in some premises overlooking the gully were attracted by a brilliant flash. Later, hailstones and heavy rain were experienced. DROP IN TEMPERATURE AUCKLAND, February 26. Yesterday was the coldest day this year, the minimum temperature being 49 degrees. There was a severe electrical storm early this morning, and the rainfall in the 24 hours ended at nine o’clock exceeded an inch, making the total for the month 9.61 inches, compared with an average ot only 3.18 inches. The w’eatber to-day is still unsettled. STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

WHANGAREI, February 26. During the electrical storm yesterday, James Peat, of Kauri, was thrown to the ground as he was walking in a paddock. “Suddenly, something seemed to explode in my faceEverything went black and I fell like a nine-pin,” he said. Alter lying unconscious for some time he managed to reach .home. About'the same hour, a taxi was struck by lightning, and the engine stopped. REPAIRS TO RAILWAYS. NEW PLYMOUTH. February 25. The repairing of the damage to the railways caused by Friday’s floods has been advanced more quickly than was expected. The Auckland express was able to leave to-night via the Stratford line. It is hoped that the express from Wellington will complete its journey to New Plymouth tomorrow night, and that a lull sort ice on both lines will bo resumed on Thursday morning. The Government is receiving reports from engineers. When those are in hand, consideration will bo given to iho local bodies’ applications for financial assistance. The Taranaki Cotintv Council, in its comparatively small area, to-day estimated damage at .£lO,OOO. Ilawera County estimates its damage at .£20,000, and Inglewood County at £lO.OOO. The Stratford and Palea damage is not so serious.