THE WEATHER

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 49, 10 February 1932, Page 6

THE WEATHER

HEAVY RAINFALL PASTURES REFRESHED. DRY SPELL BROKEN. The breaking of the very long dry spell which has been experienced throughout Hawke’s Bay has had a most heartening effect on the farming community. The rainfall up to 2.30 this afternoon has been very considerable. Some parts of the district have had phenomenal falls, and at Marae totara, for the approximate 40 hours since the weather broke, the amount registered was 8 inches. In this district it was still raining steadily late this afternoon, and there were no signs that the weather would break. This was at Mr. P. H. Parker’s station, and at Mr. R. Sunderland’s Waipoapoa station at Maraetotara the recordings were slightly less, At Mr. Sunderland’s residence at Undercliffe the fall for the 24 hours ending 9 a.m. to-day was 3.57 inches. At Mokopeka station up till 9 o’clock this morning slightly over 4 inches was recorded. At Whana Whana, Mr. G. R Beamish states, the fall for the 24 hours was 1.6 inches, whilst at Mangatahi the total for the same period was 1.25 inches. In both districts rain waa still falling steadily. Mrs H. Berthon Williams, at Havelock North, reports that since Monday afternoon, when the rain started, the fall had been 3.65 inches.

There is an appreciable rise in the rivers, Whana Whana reporting that the Ngaruroro river was full, but quite safe. The Tuki Tuki at Havelock North has risen a good deal, but it is not what one could term a flood rising. TUTAEKUBI RISING. The heavy rain experienced during yesterday and last night has accounted for an exceptionally heavy rise in the Tutaekuri river to-day. At 2 o’clock this afternoon the water had almost reached the lift, mark, and was lapping over the flooring of the suspension foot bridge at Meeanee, and the •water was still. rising. The structure is in great danger and settlers are expecting any moment to see it washed away. A gang of men have been working all day on the bank opposite Dooney’s, which was being seriously threatened. Large quanties of flood water were going down the overflow, and at an early hour this morning the road through Brookfield was blocked. FOUB INCHES AT PUKETAPU.

At Puketapu, Mr. P. Drummond reported that there had been four inches of ram up to 9 o’clock this morning, and that it had continued heavily since then. The flood water was heavily laden with silt, and the rapid rise taking place in the river up till a late hour this afternoon was causing increasing anxiety to settlers. ROADS BLOCKED.

At Eskdale a fall of five inches was recorded, and at an early hour this morning the low-level bridge over the Esk river was impassable.

Over the Devil’s Elbow numerous slips have occurred, in one case the road being completely blocked] On the Waihau hill a further slip has completely blocked the road. Gangs of men were employed by the Public Works Department to-day in clearing both the big slips, and it was hoped by to-night to have a sufficient clearance effected to enable cars to get through to-night.

With the heavy rain that has continued to fall to-day, it was feared that further substantial slips may occur.

Although heavy rain fell in Napier last night and during this morning, the storm water drainage system was able to cope with the position, with the result that there was little surface water about. IN CENTRAL H.B. As compared with .52 inches recorded for the 24 hours ended 9 o’clock yesterday morning at the Waipukurau Public Hospital, that shown for the succeeding day was 1.04 inches. The drought conditions in Central Hawke’s Bay are, therefore, at an end. Our special representative advises to-day that heavy driving fine rain is still prevailing, and the countryside is receiving a good soaking. RAINFALL AT GISBORNE. Gisborne, Feb. 10. The rainfall at Gisborne up to 9 a.m. was 223 points, the best day’s register since May, 1929. The total since Saturday is 283 points, only four points less than the aggregate for the preceding three months. Warm rain is still continuing, and will do incalculable good throughout the East Coast area.