Gale Lashes Whangarei

Northern Advocate, 17 May 1947, Page 4

Gale Lashes Whangarei

High south-westerly winds swept the Whangarei district last night after heavy rain had fallen during the day.

Evidence of the force of the wind could be seen in Whangarei this morning by trees with minor branches and leaves stripped from them, as well as several fences either blown to the ground or slanted by the wind. The rain, which accompanied the wind last night, developed late on Thursday but the fall at 8 a.m. yesterday was only ,18in. Yesterday rain fell heavily all day. and early last night the wind began to blow strong and gusty from the south-west.

By 8 p.m. the wind had almost reached gale force and was driving shoppers out of Whangarei as it flung stinging showers of rain over the town.

As the evening wore on the velocity of the wind increased but the rain eased. Shortly after midnight, when the wind was at its height, there was only a fine drizzle. As dawn approached the wind abated but it was still fresh this morning.

The rainfall for the 24 hours ended 8 a.m. this morning was 1.26 in. A curious feature of the storm was that 12 hours before it came there was a sharp drop rn the temperature in Whangarei from 54 degrees on Thursday to 49 degrees yesterday. This morning tile mercury had risen to 55 degrees, and the barometer from 29.9 yesterday to 30.05 this morning. The high wind and some rain appears to have been general. The Paroto entered Whangarei Harbour yesterday to unload and load cargo for Auckland but the heavy rain delayed her working until this morning.

She will be ready to sail on the afternoon tide today at 5.20 if rain does not interfere with her working and conditions outside the harbour have moderated.

This morning a heavy sea was running outside the Heads and the wind was still strong from the south.