TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19563, 16 February 1927, Page 10

TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR.

STORM BURSTS OVER €ITY. SOUTHERN SUBURBS SUFFER. HEAVY HAIL AT OTAHUHU. VIVID FLASHES OF LIGHTNING. A severe electrical storm, accompanied by exceptionally heavy rain, broke on the city and suburbs about 6.50 last evening. The downpour continued in heavy squalls for two hours and then settled into a steady rain. From the southern suburbs there were reports of an even more serious weather disturbance. At Otahuhu there was a heavy hailstorm, and at East Tamaki something in the nature of a cloud-burst preceded by what was described as a well-defined waterspout. Everywhere great flashes of sheet lightning followed by long rolls of thunder heightened the impression made by the sudden clash of the elements. An extraordinary incident was the striking of a tramcar by lightning in Epsom. The low visibity owing to the thickness of the downpour was also responsible for a serious accident to a bus in Symonds Street. In the city, Queen Street was awash during the first violence of the storm and all* the side streets sent their tributaries to swell the main stream. For abouthalf an hour the storm-water, drainage was heavily over-taxed, the emergency being aggravated by the full tide in the harbour preventing the rapid discharge of the accumulation. The water did not, however, lap very far over the kerbs and there were 110 reports of flooded cellars, such as have marked previous visitations The only apparent damage was to tho wood-block paving in Customs Street outside the Waitemata Hotel, where tha torrent ,of water got under und flooded a short section of the street. Tho surface was left in violent corrugations, but no doubt an early working party will inye the miniature switchback levelled into place this morning, > ,» , . The civic square, lacking any proper drainage, acted as a small catchment area ■ for the rain, which found an outlet at the not'th-w.estem corner on to.the junction of Wellesley and Queen Streets. Here the water collected into a miniature laky, through which the trams and motor-cars had to plough, jetting water on either hand. Some of the suburbs experienced a similar drenching to that which fell on the city, whilo in others the fall was comparatively light. Everywhere, however, the moisture was eagerly welcomed as a tonic to parched vegetable and flower gardens. In tho country, too,, pastures will bo greatly freshened after tho spell of hot, dry weather.