RODNEY STORM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22059, 15 March 1935, Page 10

RODNEY STORM

PLAY OF LIGHTNING torrential rain falls RIVERS RISE QUICKLY GALE ON EAST COAST [from OCR own correspondent] WARKWORTH, Thursday A heavy storm was experienced over the whole of tho Rodney district this evening. Rain, ■whicli bad fallen fairly steadily all the week, bccamo torrential. A particularly sdvere thunderstorm occurred in tho Wellsford district at dark, the crashing of heavy thunder being accompanied by almost continuous lightning. For an hour and a-half thero was not more than a few seconds' respite. Tho rain was exceptionally heavy at Wellsford, Kaipara Flats and Hoteo. On tho east coast thero has been a little less rain. With tho rising of an easterly gale heavy seas are reported there. At the mouth of Grut's Creek, at the north end of Orewa beach, the easterly wind has banked sand against a dam, constructed during tho building of a new bridge on the main highway. Tho creek is running bank high and is still rising. Unless it bursts tho sand-bank to-night the road will bo flooded to-morrow. The Tapu and Wliangaripo streams, tributaries of the Hoteo river, are rising steadily, and if the rain continues severe flooding will occur lower down the Hoteo at Wayby and Hoteo station. The Kaitoto bridge is a foot under water and tho river is steadily rising. Tlio"Kaitoto bridge spans a tributary of tho Hoteo river, on tho Kaiparg, Flats-Tauhoa road. In all other creeks in the district the water is steadily rising. Low-lying paddocks at Wayby and Kaipoi-a Flats are all under water. The Wcrkworth telephone exchange is unable to establish a connection with Waipu. One of the lines between Warkworth and Whangarei is out of commission and only one of the three lines to Auckland is in service. A number of subscribers' lines ar3 also out of order.

DAMAGE IN ORCHARDS » APPLE CROPS SUFFER [from our own correspondent] PORT ALBERT, Thuhsday Recent storms have been responsible for considerable damage to the orchards in tho Pert Albert district. The applo trees were hoavily laden with fruit ready to pick and many were easily blown off. Owing to the wet ground and the heavily-laden trees entire trees were blown over and in some cases branches were broken off tho pine break winds. Tho damage will considerably lessen the quantity of Delicious apples available for export. ;- . ' • •;