RAIN CAUSES FLOODS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20597, 23 June 1930, Page 10

RAIN CAUSES FLOODS.

BAY OF PLENTY DISTRICT. LOW AREAS UNDER WATEk. LOSS OF STOCK REPORTED. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] TE PUKE, Saturday. Exceptionally squally weather has been , experienced throughout the Bay of Plenty in tho past twb days. Last even- . ing a strong north-westerly galo prevailed and was followed by torrential rain. ' During the night over 3in. of rain fell I and the streams and -rivers overflowed • their stopbanks in places. All tho low- ■ lying land has suffered considerably. I The flood water has risen above the 1 fences and very many acres of swamp 1 lands aro completely covered. They re- ' semble large lakes dotted with cabbage trees and the tops of fences. A large 1 quantity of stock was removed with 1 difficulty to higher country. Twenty 1 sheep owned by a Papamoa farmer wero drowned. 1 Tho rain has ceased and the flood 1 waters are slowly subsiding. ! HEAVY FALL IN WAIKATO. i RISE IN WAIKATO RIVER. I r ' [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] HAMILTON. Sunday. Exceptionally heavy rain, accompaniod by a strong south-easterly wind, fell in Hamilton on Friday evening and early yesterday morning. The rain commenced at about 10 o'clock on Friday morning, the fall up to nine o'clock yesterday morning being 1.91 in. The wet weather has resulted in a slight rise of tho Waikato River, the water of which has become very discoloured. This is partly due, however, to the added volume of water being released from the Arnpuni Lake. DOWNPOUR AT ROTORUA. FLOODING ON GOLF LINKS. ' [BY TELEGRAPH—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] ROTORUA, Saturday. Heavy rain started to fall at Rotorua about 5 p.m. yesterday afternoon and continued through the night until about 6 a.m. to-day. A total of 3.38 in. fell. It caused the bunkers and the fairway on the golf links to be flooded in some cases. Late this afternoon most of this water had drained away. All hockey contests to-day were abandoned on account of the saturated condition of the playing area. Tho rain gauge at Kaingaroa registered 3.56 in. This is the heaviest rainfall in 12 hours for many years. V ! . EXPERIENCE AT THAMES. ELECTRIC WIRES BROKEN. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] THAMES, Saturday. Although Thames was subjected to a heavy easterly gale on Friday night no great damage was done. A few fences were blown down, and the electrical staff had a busy time replacing light wires which broke during the night. The rainfall was heavy, 2.31 inches of rain having fallen up to 10 a.m. this morning. The playing grounds were somewhat sodden and the schools Rugby matches were abandoned. RIVERS HIGH AT GISBORNE. MOTOR TRAFFIC DELAYED. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] OPOTIKI, Saturday. Very heavy rain fell in the Opotiki district last night and resulted in all rivers running high. Motor traffic was interrupted on the Gisborno Road as a result of slips and of the creeks being high. The service cars managed to get through although they arrived fairly late. Water over the road near Taneatua resulted in the traffic having to use tho road alongside the railway. LOCAL CONDITIONS IMPROVE. ROUGH SEA ON WEST COAST. Following the stormy easterly weather at Auckland on Friday tho conditions improved during the week-end. Early on Saturday morning the wind changed to the south-west and blew with considerable force from that direction. Heavy rain fell at intervals until mid-day, but afterwards tho showers were less fre-* quent. Yesterday tho weather continued to improve but the boisterous southerly wind made tho conditions wintry. The barometer, after falling all day on Friday, registered 29.30 in. early on Saturday morning. After the wind changed the barometer rose almost as rapidly as it had fallen, and tho reading last evening was 30.05 in. The chango of wind improved tho weather conditions in tho Hauraki Gulf and H.M.S. Dunedin, after sheltering from the storm on Friday, was able to come into port towing tho large target which sho had used at gunnery practice. The Northern Company's steamer Kawau, which returned to port on Friday evening, owing to the rough seas in the gulf, resumed her trip to Waiwera and Warkworth at six o'clock on Saturday morning. Although the conditions improved in the gulf, the change of wind caused a rough sea on the west coast. The .Northern Company's oil vessel Hauturu left Onehunga for New Plymouth on Saturday afternoon, but sho was unable to cross the Manukau Bar and was anchored at the heads last night. Tho wet woathor on Friday and Saturday added I.BBin. of rain to the month's rainfall, which is now 3.82 in., compared to the average Juno rainfall of 4.97 in.