MORE WET WEATHER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20990, 29 September 1931, Page 8

MORE WET WEATHER.

HEAVY SHOWERS V MONTH'S RAINFALL FIVE INCHES. HIGH AVERAGE FOR YEAR. The weather was again wet at Auckland yesterday, very heavy showers being experienced early in the morning and at mid-day. The conditions improved in the afternoon, but the evening wtas showery. The rainfall for the 24 hours ended at midnight yesterday was .98in., as registered by the Herald gauge, which makes the total rainfall for the month to date nearly sin., or 1.50 in. above the average / rainfall for September. Although the monthly rainfalls for February, March, May, June and August were below the average each month the exceptionally wet weather in January, April, July and this month have increased the total rainfall for the year to date to 41.50 in., or only 3in. less than the average rainfall for 12 morTths, taken from records for the last 74 years. Tho wet weather this month has beero accompanied by very changeable and unsettled conditions, with the wind varying from all points of the compass. On Sunday it was north-easterly in the morning and during tho day it changed to the north and theiv to the south-west. Late in the evening there was a further change to the south-east. Somewhat similar conditions prevailed yesterday. , The changeable weather conditions have been accompanied by a very unsteady barometer. It fell to 29.70 m, on Sat- •' urdav morning and rose to 30.05 in. at mid-day on Sunday. Last night it had again fallen to 29.55 in. Conditions in Hamilton yesterday were made very unpleasant by almost incessant showers. Rain commenced to fall on Sunday evening, the total fall for the 24 hours ended 9 a.m. yesterday being .34in. DELUGE OF RAIN. FLOODING AT TIMARU. MINIATURE LAKES IN OFFICE. Rain of tremendous violence, attaininf practically the proportions of a cloud- ' burst, deluged Timaru between 9.15 a.m. and 9.45 a.m. on Saturday, flooding basements along the main street to a depth of 9in., and covering road surfaces 18in. deep. Penetrating the roof of the Harbour Board office, the water turned the rooms into miniature lakes, holes having to be bored in the floors to clear the flood away. Some the board's records and papers were lost. Numerous ground-floors were flooded, on Stafford Street and elsewhere.

A resident, who once experienced a cloudburst, stated that the rain was almost as bad, but not quite of such terrific force

as he would associate with a genuine cloudburst.

None the less, Timaru suffered an extraordinary deluge. Blocked drains in outlying streets y meant that the road surfaces were covered with storm-water to a considerable depth. The centre of the storm appeared to be j largely over the main street, which was transformed into a gushing waterway. People, caught by the suddenly furious rain, hurriedly hunted cover, finding it impossible in many cases to escape being soaked through before shelter was reached. After 9.45 a.m., the storm became much less violent, though rain continued to fall. All through the town shopkeepers were to be seen sweeping the water out of their j Ehops with brooms. Mr. H. F. Baird, of the Christckurch Magnetic Observatory, commenting on the very heavy rain at Timaru, said that the clear-cut appearance of the clouds early - in the morning had hinted at the kind of conditions suitable for the production of, a cloudburst. Cloudbursts were liable to occur when there were very strong vertical movements of the air.