FLOODS IN NORTH CANTERBURY.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 11 September 1935, Page 7

FLOODS IN NORTH CANTERBURY.

HEAVY LAMB MORTALITY FEARED. CAR TRAFFIC HELD UP. (By Telegraph —Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, Last Night. The flooding of creeks after two days’ heavy rain has blocked the main road to Kaikoura and the inland route from Waiau to Kaikoura, while the road west from Christchurch has been rendered impassable by snow on Porter’s pass. Six inches of rain fell at Waiau in the 24 hours ended at 9 a.m. to-day. All the rivers and creeks north of that ■district are in high flood and several big slips are reported iu the hills behind Waiau. The rainfall appears to have been heaviest from Waipara northwards, in the Waipara area the fall has' been the heaviest since 1923 and heavy lambing mortality is feared. As a precaution stock has been moved to higher ground. Service cars have been held up at Stonoy Creek .on the road to Kaikoura, but the possibility of a complete holdup has been overcome by the use of a dray as a transport over the creek. The automobile association reported this -morning that on the way to Hororata the Sehvyn river and the Waireka crock were iu flood. The road to Ooalgate through Darfield was flooded by the Hawkins river. A service car manager stated that the floods wore covering the roads near Parnassus and Kaikoura and in addition to Stoney creek considerable anxiety was being caused by the Fernichurst crossing two miles north of Hawkeswood station. Heavy Downfall in Wellington Province WELLINGTON, Last Night. Wellington endured almost continuous rain to-day with a constant southerly gale which reached a maximum velocity of (55 miles an hour. There ■was a heavy rainfall throughout the province, but the road remained iu surprisingly good order. A 200-yard slip on Paekakariki hil'l soon had a track cut round it and vehicles were also able to negotiate a section of the road half a mile south of Eketahuna which had slipped away. Conditions arc severe at the National Park, there being six inches of snow on the road leading from the Chateau. Washouts on the Hutt railway line between Ngahauranga and Pctone put the inward line out of commission ami resulted in a slight delay to the suburban services.

The storm has delayed the sailing ■of the Rangitanc for Napier till tomorrow afternoon and the departure of the Maui Pomare for Niue and Samoa was postponed till the morning. On account of the heavy sea running outside the heads several coastal vessels •were also delayed. t - I Bountiful Rains in Australia Received Tuesday, 9.50 p.m. SYDNEY, Sept. 10. After a protracted dry spell rain is ■falling over three-quarters of New Wales. The wheat belt is benefiting, also the majority of the pastoral areas where rain has not fallen for many months. Reports from Queensland state that -splendid rain has fallen in the central •and ' northern districts, where it is most-needed.