GALE SWEEPS TARANAKI.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 14 July 1938, Page 8

GALE SWEEPS TARANAKI.

TRAIL OF MINOR DAMAGE. GUSTS OF 60 MILES AN HOUR titJy Telegraph—Press Association. i NEW PLYMOUTH, Last Nigiit. A trail of minor damage was loft by a south-east gale that swept Taranaki to-day, the strongest experienced for years. The gale sprang up suddenly after a warm, springlike day and a calm, cloar night. By daylight this morning the wind had'reached gale force, gusts being of 60 miles an hour. Several houses had parts of their roofs blown off and windows smashed. Electric power was cut off completely for a period this morning and again this evening. Several sheds and garages were blown down and telephone and power poles and lines were .broken down.

Strangely enough, the air liners seemed the least affected of the transport services, planes arriving and leaving in both directions on scheduled time.

j A heavy sign on a shop at New Plymouth crashed down and smashed the hood of a car, which was not occupied. Two houses had the greater part of their roofs blown off, and in one case, when the housewife was preparing the evening meal a brick came down the chimney and crashed on the stove, spoiling the meal and covering the room with soot. Many motorists experienced difficulty with the force of the gale, but no serious accident occurred. Blizzard conditions prevail on Mount Egmont, with heavy snow, but there is practically no rain clsewhero in the province.

HEAVY RAIN IN HAWKE'S BAY HASTINGS, Last Night. Intermittent heavy rain has fallen throughout the district since Monday morning. Although rivers are high they are not dangerous, and prospects are that they will bo down very soon, as the rain appears to be easing off. There is a great deal of surface water about, due to the ground being saturated through the recent flood. In parts of the back country heavy hail has been experienced.

SEVERE GALE AT WANGANUI WANGANUI, July 13. During the past 24 hours the Wanganui district has been swept by one of the severest gales this year. No serious damage is reported and the river is not in flood. Very heavy seas have been experienced off the coast.

AEROPLANE SERVICES CANCELLED WELLINGTON, Last Night. Owing to the cancellation of flights by Cook Strait Airways machines today, mails from the South Island, which under normal circumstances would have been transferred from the Union Airways northbound machine at Blenheim, and brought to Wellington, were carried straight through to Palmerston North. The mails were to be brought to Wellington by train later in the day. The only Cook Strait aeroplane to leave Eongotai this morning was one at 7.45 o'clock. The Union Airways aeroplane from Auckland was flown to schedule.

STEAMER HAS STORMY VOYAGE CHRITCHURCH, Last Night. Southerly weather along the coast delayed the arrival ot the inter-island steamer Maori at Lyttelton this morning by two hours. As the Maori headed for Pencarrow Head last night she encountered strong southerly weather, with rough seas. The vessel's engine speed was not reduced, but her progress was impeded after passing Cape Campbell, as the weather got worse. It was not until she was 40 miles off the Lyttelton Heads that conditions started to moderate, and her speed improved. She berthed at Lyttelton at 8.45 a.m., landing 200 passengers.