STORM AT AUCKLAND

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 December 1939, Page 12

STORM AT AUCKLAND

HIGH WIND VELOCITY. fPEB PEESS ASSOCIATION.] AUCKLAND, December 11. A fierce storm, which reached its worst late in the afternoon, lashed Auckland yesterday. The barometer dropped steeply from noon onwards, and the wind velocity at one stage reached 67 miles per hour. Heavy seas on the harbour caused the owners of small craft much anxiety, and several boats broke away from their moorings. The 26ft keel yacht Calypso was driven ashore at 3 p.m., and four hours later was a total wreck. Minor damage was caused in suburban gardens, but commercial fruitgrowers escaped comparatively lightly. Several large advertising hoardings were flattened, and a number of can- . vas sun-blinds outside shops were ripped. At full tide, the seas broke right across the waterfront road, and many people, some dressed only in bathing suits, assembled to watch them. The weather to-day is dull and overcast, but the storm has apparently passed. The rainfall exceeded an inch. NAVAL PATROL CLOSES PORT. Passengers on public and private launches, arid on yachts returning from week-end excursions, had an unpleasant hour when they were turned back into Islington Bay at the height of. the gale, late yesterday afternoon. Orders to go to the Bay were given by the naval patrol, when visibility became so reduced that the port had to be closed. While some people were inclined to be annoyed at the order to turn back, regarding it as an unnecessary display of officialdom, the order was generally regarded as essential. It is laid down explicitly that, if the entrance to the harbour cannot be seen from the forts, the port must be closed to all craft. The point is made that it is not the habit of enemy raiders to announce their pending arrival, and that, if an attempt were made on the harbour, the hours when visibility was poor would be chosen to screen the attack.

Altogether, about 40 vessels were affected, and some, operating on a time-table, were about three-quarters of an hour late in arriving.