HURRICANE WEATHER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 24 January 1939, Page 7

HURRICANE WEATHER

SHIP MATUA DELAYED I United Press Association! AUCKLAND, 23rd January, j Because of hurricane weather, the | Union Company’s passenger motor-ship | Matua, which arrived at Auckland from the islands this afternoon, had to leave' the wharf at Suva last Wednesday and ] anchor in the harbour for two nights and a day till conditions moderate. 1 Leaving 24 hours behind schedule, she encountered rough seas throughout | the run to Auckland. Late on Wednesday afternoon the harbourmaster at Suva reported that a hurricane was advancing in a southwesterly direction from Taviuni, and ' the vessel was accordingly taken out to an anchorage. Throughout the night there were heavy squalls, which reached a climax about 4 a.m., when the barometer, which had been falling steadily made a sudden drop to 29.02in. It then began to rise and the weather was very thick, with incessant rain. There was no improvement during Thursday, but on Friday morning the vessel was! berthed again and cleared for Auckland ; at noon. Outside she met a very heavy confused sea, with wind east-north-east, and conditions were stormy all the way to the New Zealand coast. It appeared from wireless weather reports that the hurricane passed south j of Suva while the Matua was in port, j but that after reaching Lautoka it travelled back again, causing excep- j tionally high winds at Suva on Satur- I day, the day after her departure. In j spite of the rough weather no damage j was done aboard* the vessel.