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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9377, 29 May 1889, Page 4

Only a few weeks ago we were reading of enormous losses in New South Wales ' and Victoria on account of the prolonged drought, and now it would seem that those colonies are being drowned with an unprecedented rainfall, and that very considerable damage is being done by floods. Now Zealand journalists were fond of showing lately that this fortunate, country was never visited by such droughts, and now we shall have to make it clear that we never have such terrific and destructive downpours of rain from the heavens. In New South Wales, great damage has been caused in Sydney and in the country, and in several cases loss of life is reported. Telegraphs and railways arc interrupted in all directions, and a severe storm is raging on the coast, in which it is feared that vessels have been lost. Marrickville, which is said to be submerged, and where the people have had to be rescued by boats, is a suburban borough of Sydney, and is about three and a-half miles west of that city. Windsor is on the Ilawkesbury, about thirty-four miles from Sydney. The ho: vy rainfall mrst have extended over a wido area, for we are informed also that the floods have assumed terrible and unparalleled proportions in the Numurkah district in Victoria. Numurkah is about 133 miles north of Melbourne, and the township is the centre of an important agricultural and pastoral district. Numurkah and Nathalia are adjacent to the Goulburn River, which, at that place, enters into the Murray. As to the amount of the rainfall we are told that during the past seventy-two hours sixteen inches have fallen. Mr. H.C. Russell, the Government astronomer, in a report published, states that, in Sydney, rain

has often fallen at the rate of an inch per hour for several hours in succession. On one occasion, for a short time, rain fell at the rate of 5 "250 inches per hour. At Newcastle, during a storm, 10"610 inches of rain fell between 1.30 p.m. and 4 p.m., or two and a-half hours. The average rainfall at Sydney is about 52 inches. It is sometimes as low as 37'122 and again as high as 73'404. Probably, however, a fall of sixteen inches without intermission is quite exceptional.