HEAVY RAINS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13796, 8 July 1908, Page 7

HEAVY RAINS.

SOUTHERN RIVERS BLOODED. LOW COUNTRY SUBMERGED. [BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL COBRESPONDENT.] | Christchurch, Tuesday. I Christchurch has been experiencing for I the past 24 hours the heaviest rainfall that jit has had for some years. To-day's downj pour has been unable to get away, with the result that in many parts of the city and suburbs > there are miniature floods. The " t Avon, at one o'clock this afternoon, was 3ft above ite normal level, and was -; still rising, and in the lower lying parte '; of the town the culverts were blocked at their outlets, causing the storm water to 1 back up and! flood the streets. The pumping station in connection with" the drainage i-- works was unable to cope with the enormt *ous additional quantity of water, and' as a consequence the manufacture of gae at the | •i j gasworks was suspended. i The township of Lincoln is reported to j bo flooded. Reports from Sumner state - i that large quantities of water are coming i j down the hills, and the main street is flood- j !ed in parts. Owing to the heavy rain the { . j weekly market at Rangiora was put off for j j the first time in 16 years. At Lytteltou j ! work on the wharves was practically at a i ' standstill all day, and several steamers did ' J not open their hatches at all. I j FLOODS IN THE SOUTH. \ [BY TELEGRAPH. ASSOCIATION.] i DtrNEniN, Tuesday. < Rain set in this morning, and has fallen, j heavily all day. Advices from Central j Otago state that snow started to fall last' { night, and is still falling this afternoon, j Blenheim, Tuesday. There has been a heavy rainfall here during the last 24 hours, 2.3 m having fallen. The rivers are high, the Taylor being very nearly flooded. . Woodville, Tuesday. ' Heavy rain has been falling for 18 hours, and the rivers are in high flood. Settlers along the Manawatu had plenty of warn- ,- ing, and eaved all their stock. The Man- , gatua River is very high, and is running . some feet deep over the Southern Road. , Mastkrton, Tuesday. I The registered rainfall for the last 24 i hours is 2.32 iii, which ie slightly more , \ than the fall for the whole of the previous , month. Rivers and creeks are in flood, . and low-lying lands are submerged. Some , areas under crop on the banks of the Ruamahunga River have been washed away, but no losses of stock are reported. ' (Paluebston North, Tuesday.' ... The Manawatu River is in heavy flood, ( the water at Fitzherbert bridge being within 3ft of the highest flood water-mark. , Six spans of the staging of the new Lower Gorge bridge, in course of erection, were . washed away, representing a loss of hun- ! dreds of pounds to the contractor.