WIND AND RAIN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22724, 10 May 1937, Page 10

WIND AND RAIN

STORM ON WEST COAST

SEVERAL ROADS BLOCKED

MELTING SNOW SWELLS RIVER

AIR SERVICE INTERRUPTED

[by tki.hgraph—own cohhkspondknt] C, REYMOUTH, Sunday

A severe electrical storm was experienced on the West Coast on Saturday night. There was a severe north-west wind with heavy rain. Wcheka and Waiho felt the visitation most severely and communication from these areas was cut off from Ross.

An Air Travel aeroplane was compelled on Saturday to return to Hokitika, with passengers, and owing to the conditions the timetable has been dislocated for the first time in the history oif the sendee. An Air Force bomber from Wigram, employed by the Government on aerial survey photography of the West Coast, piloted by Flving-Offieer F. O. Dix, has been detained at Greyinouth since Thursday, indicating heavv weather up the Grey Valley. As a l'esult of appreciable melting of snow on the rnrtgos, the Grey River to-day is in high flood and running with an 11 knots current.

High winds tore most of the Coronation decorations in Greymouth into ribbons. No serious damage is reported. While riding a bicycle side-on to Saturday's strong wind in Weld Street, Hokitika, Mr. S. Brooks skidded on the bitumen road and fell heavily, breaking a leg. He was admitted to the Westland Hospital. The rainfall at Greymouth for the 24 hours ended at nine o'clock this morning was 2.00 in. All West Coast rivers are swollen considerably. Road communication is cut off to Runanga owing to flooding at Coal Creek Flat. Farmers in low-lying areas took the precaution of removing stock to higher levels.

The Otira Gorge Road has been blocked for the past week by heavy falls of snow, while there have also been heavy falls on the Lewis Pass route in the past few days.