FIERCE STORM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23213, 6 December 1938, Page 10

FIERCE STORM

WELLINGTON GALE 88-MILE VELOCITY HEAVY FALL OE RAIN SERVICES DISRUPTED [BY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] WELLINGTON, Monday Airway, railway, ferry boat and telephone services were disrupted in Wellington to-day as the result of a violent storm, which developed overnight. A southerly gale reached from 74 to 88 miles an hour in suburban dis-, tricts during the morning, after the heaviest fall of rain since August. The weather cleared in the afternoon, and the force of the wind abated. All Cook Strait Airways services were cancelled this morning, but the weather had improved sufficiently for the afternoon aeroplanes to be dispatched. The Union Airways schedule was maintained, in spite of the weather. Harbour Ferries Buffeted Passengers by the Eastbourne ferries in the morning had unenviable journeys, the rough seas on the harbour giving the boats a severe buffeting. Two early morning trips from Eastbourne were run, but those from Wellington, as well as that scheduled for 11 a.m. from Eastbourne, were cancelled. Ferry boats were unable to berth at tho Rona Bay wharf, and passengers had to be taken to Day's Bay by bus. This caused a delay of 20 minutes in the case of one boat. When the later boat trips were abandoned, relief services were provided by bus until the normal timetable was followed in tho afternoon. „ The sea did not damage the Mutt railway line, but salt spray interfered with the electrical signalling system, and some trains were delayed for from 10 to 15 minutes.

Telephones Out Ofl Because of the exceptionally heary rain that fell last night, water seeped through to an underground telephone cable, causing a short-circuit and putting 123 telephones in the Karori district out of commission. The fault occurred at 4.25 a.m., but being underground, it was difficult to trace, and was not located until the afternoon. A repair gang restored the service tonight. Although the gale was strongest at Rongotai, little damage was done to the centennial exhibition buildings. Some partly-constructed framework at the bandshell, consisting of several pylons, was blown down. Havoc in Gardens

There were many minor slips during the night, but no serious flooding occurred. The wind and rain played havoc with gardens, and leaves were the cause of much trouble in blocking stormwater drains and sumps. The rainfall for the 24 hours ended 9 a.m. to-day was 1.82 in., as recorded at the Dominion Observatory. Most of it fell between 6 p.m. on Sunday and 1.30 a.m. to-day. The gale reached its maximum force at 6.30 a.m. to-day. The velocity at Rongotai was 88 miles an hour, and this was not an isolated gust, as there were many others with nearly as much force behind them. The maximum velocity recorded at Kelburn was 74 miles an hour.

SEVERE WHIRLWIND IRON FLYING IN AIR MINISTER'S CAR ESCAPES MR. WEBB IN RAIN AND GALE [BY TELKGRArH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] WESTPORT, Monday A fierce whirlwind which sent two sheets of roofing iron soaring in the air like pieces of paper and flying over the road down from Millerton gave members of a Ministerial party touring mining townships on the West Coast an unpleasant experience. Two cars containing members of the Hon. P. C. Webb's party and of local bodies were coming down on the last stage of the road from Millerton and Stockton when passengers saw on the beach at Grnnity, straight below them, a strong whirlwind. About the width of two houses, the whirlwind apparently whipped from the roof of a dwelling 011 -the main road two sections of roofing iron and carried them with it as it continued up the Millerton hill. One of the pieces of iron Went uncomfortably close to the leading car, which stopped to avoid the full force of the wind that shook and rattled the car.

The second car, in which Mr. Webb was a passenger, escaped the wind, which fortunately went straight up the hillside instead of following the course of the road. Its swirling progress through the bush was watched by many people of Granity who had heard it come in from the sea. The whirlwind was the climax of several periods of really bad weather during Mr. Webb's inspection of the district. His visit to Denniston, 2000 ft. up the hill, was made in a gale and much of the day's original programme had to be abandoned because of rain which fell in torrents. The trip down the hill in darkness was made in heavy fog as well as rain. The rain was not altogether unwelcome to local body people accompanying Mr. Webb, because they were able to show him real examples of flooding and erosion damage from creeks.

DAMAGE IN ORCHARDS ROOF CARRIED 100 YARDS SEAS POUND WANGANUI SHORES [BY telegraph—OWN correspondent] - WANGANUI. Monday The. Wangnnui district was swept bv a severe gale this morning and much damage was done to orchards and gardens, fruit trees being stripped and fences and verandahs blown down. In one case tho roof was blown off a store und hurled 100 yards away, and a tank was blown over rolled a quarter of a mile along the road. The seaside got the full force of the storm. Residents at Castleclilf declare that the blow was tho worst experienced for 20 years. Huge seas pounded on the beach and moles, but tho moles appeared to have sustained little damage. In its earlier stages the unit' was blowing from tho east, which is most unusual, but later it veered to the south. At noon the storm was abating.