INLAND DOWNPOUR

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24825, 23 February 1944, Page 4

INLAND DOWNPOUR

WAIKATO RIVER RISES BENEFIT TO FARMING AREAS (0.c.) HAMILTON, Tuesday The appearance of the Waikato River, which has risen over 2ft. since yesterday and is highly discoloured, provides striking evidence of the heavy rain which fell last night. Intermittent showers and a strong north-easterly wind yesterday ivere followed at 11 p.m. by thunder and lightning and prolonged torrential rain. During the 24 hours ended 9 a.m. to-day 2.12 in. of rain fell, one of the heaviest falls recorded in a few hours for years. Further rain fell in the forenoon to-day.

A good deal of flooding occurred in low-lying areas, but no serious damage has been reported near Hamilton. Some stable-hands at Te Rapa had their quarters flooded and a shed at Frankton was blown down.

Electric power and telephone services in the Cambridge and Fencourt areas were dislocated to-day through poles being blown down and farmers were without power for their milking machines. The area presented a bartered appearance this morning, but the other damage was confined to trees blown down and destruction in gardens. The rain ' is greatly welcomed, by farmers for the benefit it will bring to pastures. A supply of green feed is ensured for the remainder of the autumn, which will enable farmers to conserve supplies of hay and ensilage for the winter. NEARLY THREE INCHES AT TAUFO FIRE DANGERS REMOVED (0.C.) TAUPO. Tuesday Exceptionally heavy rain fell in the Taupo area last night and has,,continued all day, accompanied by thunder and lightning. The rainfall for the 24 hours ended 9 a.m. to-day was 2.82 in. Naturally the pumice roads have suffered severely and the service car from National Park only just got through with the continued assistance of the surfacemen. National Park road is subject to flooding between Tauranga-Taupo and Turangi and at present long stretches are under water. The Works Department at Taupo has the repair work well in hand, gangs of men with lorries being out all day. The rain has definitely removed the danger of scrub fires which was again becoming very serious. It has also replenished the water supply of Taupo by filling all tanks and settled tho dust trouble.

NELSON DISTRICT SUFFERS HOMES AND FRUIT DAMAGED (0.C.) Tuesday A violent storm with gusts of wind measuring up to 95 miles an hour on the Beaufort scale struck Nelson district, in the early hours of this morning and in a period of less than two hours did considerable damage to houses, gardens, orchards and electricpower and telephone communications. Two houses in the city were unroofed, plate-glass windows were broken and trees were blown across the power and telephone lines. The Post and Telegraph Department had restored all except the services to some individual houses by mid-day. but some of the country areas are still without electricity. Besides blowing down fences and breaking the monument to the late Thomas Cawthron in the Nelson cemetery, the gale, which blew itself out as suddenly as it started shortly before :S a.m., left a trail of litter in its wake. Apples and the later stone fruit are now maturing and under many of the trees to-day is a carpet of windfalls. Hops, too, which will he ready for picking in a week or so, received a severe buffeting.

TRANSFER OF BUILDERS PROTEST AT HAMILTON (0.C.) HAMILTON, Tuesday The executive of the Wailcato Heturned Services Association decided today to protest strongly against the suggestion to send a large number of builders from this district to work at Wellington. It was felt that the housing shortage in Hamilton was as acute as anywhere else, and that the association could not stand by and see ex-service-men here, many in positions of great hardship, passed by in order that peoplo in the capital city should have preference.