HAIL AND THUNDER IN THE SOUTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10021, 7 January 1896, Page 5

HAIL AND THUNDER IN THE SOUTH.

GREAT DAMAGE AT OAMARU.

UNPRECEDENTED FALL OF hailstones.

[fit IKLKaRAPH.-PRESS ASSOCIATION']

Oamaro, Monday. Yestkrday's storm turns nub to have been purely local, consequently the crops in the district escaped. The damage is confined mainly to the town, almost every pane of glass in the skylights being smashed to atoms. Trees were thrashed to tatters, and the fruit, vegetables, and flowers all ruined. Hulleid and Co., drapers, estimate their loss at £1000, their extensive skylights being all broken and their stock damaged greatly by water. Many others suffer heavy loss. Many hailstones fell from fivo to eight) inches in circumference, in some cases piercing corrugated iron roofs. The sen was churned to foam by the falling stones, and tho splash of individual stones in the sea, could be discerned by onlookers half<a<mile away. The cattle and etook exposed were driven frantic, and are bruised and swollen. Somo slight stock fatalities are reported. The trees, both orchard and ornamental, look as if subjected to a blight of caterpillars, The fall is unexampled in tho memory of any of the residents. DuKbdin, Monday.

There was a terrific thunderstorm ab Arrowtown on Saturday. Ab Millers Flat fork lightning destroyed all the fencing for half-a-mllo, making deep trenches in tho ground. The currant struok a weatherboard house owned by William Sooles, burning it up completely. The house had no inmates at the time.