Heavy Gale Causes Damage In Greymouth Area

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 September 1947, Page 2

Heavy Gale Causes Damage In Greymouth Area

Gusts of wind of strong gale force, which blew in windows, snapper wireless aerials, uprooted trees and caused some structural damage to premises in the town, came early last evening as a climax to a day of boisterous weather. Torrential ram fell at times—the total in the 24 hours to this morning was. 1.65 inches —and was accompanied by prolonged rolls of thunder. A high wind developed shortly after 5.30, but it was a gust of strong gale force that caused damage in all parts of the town. Many were led to believe that a whirlwind had struck the town, but this theory is not borne out by the effects of the visitation.

On the corner of Mawhera quay and Tairiui street, two plate-glass windows in the drapery and mercery shop of Kim Williams Ltd, were blown in. The windows were at right angles, and the broken glass was distributed for some. 200 yards down Mawhera quay. The contents on display were scooped up by the wind, but the proprietor, who was in the shop at the time, was able to collect most of the articles and it is not considered that there will be any serious loss in this direction. The false-front on the Mawhera Meat Company’s shop in Tainui street collapsed and fell on to the verandah below, . while some distance along the street at the Dominion Hotel two windows in bedrooms in the.top storey were blown in. At. Boddytown the force of the wind was clearly illustrated by the liprooting of a row of six fir trees. A locked garage door at Karoro was wrenched from its fastenings and broken into small pieces. The strong gust was, according to reports, felt in all outlying areas of the town and everywhere loose objects out of doors were lifted. The twisted sheets of iron on the ruins of the Greymouth municipal block offered no resistance to the wind and several were carried for some distance.

In contrast to the readings on the dry and wet bulbs at the climatological station at Karoro yesterday, when the recordings were barely separated, today’s readings indicated a change to dry weather. The difference—the readings were 46.7 and 39.5—was the greatest since the equipment was first installed at Greymouth arid is indicative of very dry air.

HEAVY RAINFALL BUT NO DAMAGE IN REEFTON DISTRICT (0.C.) REEFTON, This Day. Reefton experienced a severe storm last night with heavy showers of rain and wind of gale, force. The rainfall in the 24 hours to 9 O’clock this morning was 1.70 inches. The Inangahua fiver was four feet above normal level at nine o’clock this morning but was falling. The weather cleared in the early hours of the morning and no damage has been reported.