EASTERLY GALE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 7 August 1945, Page 4

EASTERLY GALE

STORMY WEATHER LAST NIGHT GUSTS OF OVER (id MILES AN HOUR FURTHER FLOODING in country DISTRICTS Stormy weather conditions v and wild gusts of wind reaching a velocity of over 60 miles an hour were experienced in Nelson last night. The easterly gale was sufficiently strong to uproot a few trees and to snap branches and twigs off a number of others, littering lawns and gardens throughout the city with fallen debris, and several wireless masts came down.

The recording instruments at the R.N.Z.AF. meteorological station at Tahunanui showed that after strong variable gusts in the earlier part of the night, the wind changed in direction shortly before 3 a.m. to a heavy gale from the east-north-east. The heaviest gust, one of 64 miles an hour, was recorded at 4.25 a.m. and from*that time until 10 a.m. the average wind velocity was 30 miles an hour, with gusts up to 54 miles an hour.

Heavy seas were running in the bay this morning ancl the white spray of breakers beating all along the outside of the Boulder Bank was flung so high that it could be seen from the port road. The Maitai river wap still in flood, but had subsided below the level of its banks. Since last Thursday 4.57 ins of rain have fallen in Nelson. STATE HIGHWAY IMPASSABLE AT APPLEBY At tlie Appleby bridge the water this morning was still 2 feet deep across the road which has been impassable for traffic since early yesterday. Some water was over the road near the church at Waimea West this morning but, was not of sufficient depth to hinder traffic. The road td Murchison is clear but the Automobile Association advises motorists to exercise caution when driving between Kawatiri and Glenhope. FLOODS IN MOTUEKA DISTRICT There wag some flooding across the road at the approach to the Riwakk bridge and cyclists going from Riwaka to Motueka this morning were unable to get across. A number of people made the crossing perched cm the back of trucks. In some places the water was nearly two feet deep. Mr R. W. S. Stevens’s farm .at Riwaka was partly under water and some sheep were isolated on hillocks surrounded by water from the Motueka river. AH creeks in the district are running bank high. At 9 o’clock this morning a creek was washing over the temporary Jubilee Bridge at Lower / Moutere. With the passing of the high tide at 9 a.m. and the easing off of the rain the floods were subsiding. TAKAKA river across road Following heavy rain all day yes* terday and last night the Takaka river again flooded its banks at Kotinga corner and Payne’s ford, where a large volume of water swept across the road early this morning, and flooded (he lower parts of Motupipi. The road to Coiling wood was agun blocked at Page’s dip, and -the Takaka-Nelson service car got through this morning by making a detour through Motupipi,

The rainfall recorded at the Takaka aerodrome from Ist to 7th August totalled 72 inches, The heaviest fall was in the 24 hours ending 9 a.m. yesterday, when 2.68 inches were recorded. This morning’s reading shpwu ed a total of 1.24 inches for the vious 24 hours. COLLINGWOOD ISOLATED After being isolated all day Saturday, cars were able to get through to Collingwood on Sunday, but by Monday morning it was again blocked by flood waters until 1.30 p.m., when big trucks were able to get through. This morning, however, a bigger volume than ever was over the road and Collingwood was again isolated.

One area of Kotinga has been without electricity since Saturday as the result of a pole being washed out and up to to-day it had been impossible to cross the Takaka river to replace it. School bus services have been interrupted. Light rain was still falling in Takaka this morning.