TEMPORARY LULL

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11513, 8 May 1923, Page 7

TEMPORARY LULL

CALM ONLY LOCAL GALE RAGING ELSEWHERE. The wind decreased in the early hours of yesterday morning, until at 4 a.m. a calm ensued. This, however, was purely local, a north-easterly gale ruling at Cape Pallieer and a southeasterly at Port Blenheim. No reports were received lrom Cape Campbell, Stephen Island, or the East Coast of the South Island. Yesterday the barometer was 6till unsteady in the north, although it had risen over a quarter of an inch since Sunday and it is probable that there is another centre of low pressure west of Kawliia. This would account for the lull in the wind yesterday. Two inches of rain were measured at the Tliorndon Observatory yesterday morning, and ,54in for the preceding 24 hours. This disturbance, stated the Director of the Meteorological Office had probably nothing whatever to do with the cyclone which was off the Queensland Coast during the preceding week-end, which caused rain in parts of Queensland, in which no rain had fallen since 1919. That cyclone, passing southward, accounted for the bountiful rain in New South Wales. That disturbance skirmished round the edge of the high pressure system which held sway over Now Zealand until the middlo of the week. It decreased and passed away in the southern areas towards the Antarctic on Thursday. RAINFALL NOT EXCEPTIONAL. The present disturbance in New Zea. land is thought to be quite a new system, which intensified greatly on Saturday. There was at that time very little to show that such a storm was coming, and it was only long experience which enabled a forecast to be sent out by the Meteorological Office. The barometer at Auckland on Sunday reached 29.38 inches, and yesterday morning the reading was 29.65 inches, which shows that the pressure has increased in the north. The rainfall in Wellington, although two inches, is said to be not really exceptional. During similar periods at other times the rainfall has been over three times the quantity which was recorded yesterday. Torrential rain fell in Blenheim, Christchurch, and other districts in the south yesterday. Floods are reported in Blenheim, and a number of rivers in the south are stated to be in high flood. ACROSS THE HARBOUR DAMAGE AT EASTBOURNE. So continuous was the rain at Eastbourne that the lower levels of the borough were completely under water. Karamu street was flooded eaTly on Sunday, and an adjacent shingle pit was filled with water. Gardens in the vicinity were invaded by the water, and shortly after midday it became necessary for the borough staff, under Mr Entwistle, to cut away the sandbank at the end of Karamu street in order to let the imprisoned water escape to the aea. When this had been done, residents in the vicinity of Karamu and Maire streets received a welcome relief from fear of flood. There were also large accumulations of storm water on the main road in the vicinity of Miss Foley’s store, and 1 at the Rons Bay end of the borough. The Recreation Ground was one large pool, but the new tennis courts were not affected, the recently-laid drainage quickly carrying away the rain as it fell. The shores of the East Harbour suburb were pounded by heavy seas throughout the day, and at 9 a.m.. the hours of high water, there was serious danger of erosion in the vicinity of the Recreation Ground. The advancing water cut the sand away right along the foreshore, passed through a manu-ka-scrub fenoe erected to hind the sand together, and left a deep drop of nearly lour feet- immediately at tlio back ot the football dressing sheds and women’s swimming shelter. An extra high tide and the continuance of southerly weather will seriously imperil both buildings, and probably capsize them on to the beach, as well as do damage to the Recreation Ground itself. IN HUTT VALLEY NO SERIOUS DAMAGE. Fortunately, no material damage Was done in the Pctono and Lower Hutt districts. The Hutt River rose rapidly from about 5.30 a.m. yesterday until 9 a.m., the highest point being just a little less than that of the flood of July, 1921. Last evening, however, it had subsided l a good deal.