WELLINGTON STORM

Grey River Argus, 8 November 1949, Page 5

WELLINGTON STORM

WELLINGTON, Nov. 7 A violent southerly storm lashed Wellington yesterday, causing widespread damage. The wind, reached a maximum velocity of 69 miles an hour and blew-'■over power and telephone poles, lifted fences, verandahs and roofing-iron and flattened gardens. A 30ft launch was holed when blown against concrete breast-work at the Evans Bay patent slip and several yachts capsized in the harbour.

Several suburbs were without electric power for 40 minutes. The gale was heading towards the Chatams and just before noon to-day it. was reported close there, but losing -.some of its force. A gradual improvement in Wellington weather was forecast to-day. At the risk of his own life, a Worsen Eay launch owner gallantly rescued two men in a dinghy in the gale yesterday. He was Mr J. Patchett, who drove his ISft launch Huia through high southerly seas to rescue Rex Garrett and Ted Fletcher, of Seatoun. They were fishing in a 12-foot dinghy off Seatoun when the southerly sprang up. Patchett s launch pitching and tossing, was almost smothered by waves. It headed after the fast-drifting dinghy. The most dangerous time came when it overtook the dinghy in the most exposed part of the channel between Ward Island and Scorching Bay, v-here the seas were rolling almost eight feet high. A line was flung to the dinghy and made fast after a hard battle against the gale. Tire launch and dinghy were welcomed at the Seatoun wharf by a crowd of more than 200. Hail accompanying a violent electrical storm smashed glasshouses and stripped fruit and other crops in a two-mile path in Hastings yesterday.