A HEAVY DOWNPOUR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22630, 23 July 1935, Page 10

A HEAVY DOWNPOUR

WET SUNDAY IN AUCKLAND FLOODING ON LOWER LEVELS (Peb United Press Association) AUCKLAND, July 22. Yesterday was one of the wettest Sundays Auckland has had for a long time. After a fine day on Saturday, rain began at night, and the total fall to 9 o’clock to-day was 3.82 inches. The excessive fall caused flooding in lowlying suburbs. Lawn tennis courts, bowling greens and playing fields generally were flooded, and the Auckland Domain became a sea of water. ' In Mount Koskill residents in some of the houses watched the water rising all night, and this morning were practically marooned. The Takapuna Eacecourse was completely covered by water banked up by the high tide. A small slip on the railway line between Helensville and Kaukapakapa held up the Auckland-bound train for half an hour. The rainfall to date, 6.91 inches, is considerably above the July average. At noon more rain appeared probable.

A report from Warkworth states that 4.1 inches of rain fell between 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to-day. The main road is flooded in places, and a serious erosion occurred on both sides of the river, giving rise to anxiety for the safety of the Warkworth bridge. FLOODS IN NORTH AUCKLAND DISORGANISATION OF TRAFFIC GREAT DAMAGE TO ROADS (Peb United Press Association)

AUCKLAND, July 22. All road and rail communication betv.een Auckland and the north has been cut off by a series of floods, slips, and wash-outs between Warkworth and Maungaturoto which have rendered all routes impassable. Advice received at a late hour to-night was that rain was still falling heavily, that the flood in most cases continued to rise, and that it was most improbable that any traffic could get through until late in the day at least.

The worst flooding has occurred in the Warkworth and Wellsford district, where over four inches of rain fell between 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 o’clock yester-\ day morning. With the ground already waterlogged as the result of previous rains throughout the north, the rivers and streams were swelled with unusual rapidity, and Auckland motorists who passed through the area before the roads became impassable report that streams were (pouring down every hillside and gully. Early in the day many of the roads were covered, and by nightfall there were several points where the water was three feet deep and more over the roads. The worst flood for many years is reported to have occurred near the Hoteo railway station. The line was covered to a depth of three feet at. 6 p.m., and the flood was still rising. At that time tlie railway bridge over the Hoteo River, the planking of which is normally eight feet above water level, was covered. In the Kaipara Flats area the roads •were made impassable early in the day. and it is thought that on some portions of the road there was nearly 10 K-et of water. To-night the flats near Wayby formed an almost unbroken sheet of water which extended up the Whangaripo Valley for six miles and down towards Kaipara. ‘ Several minor slips occurred in Dome Valley during the day, but these were cleared through the prompt action of Public Works Department gangs. A more serious development was the encroachment of flood waters at a point near where the stream had been recently diverted. An extensive washout took place, about half the road slipping away. Althouarh it was possible for cars to proceed very slowly along the remainder of the road, it- was feared that further encroachment, might take place. A further blockage on this route was serious flooding at the Hoteo bridge. Several Auckland motorists who had set out early in the day were piloted by Automobile Association patrols over the roads immediately north of Takapuna and at Dairy Flat, .where there was a (Jepth of about 18 inches of water in places: but thev were held up for some time in Dome Valley while slips were being cleared away. Through the good work of the gangs on the job the ears eventually got through.

In the meantime, however, the water ■had been rising at the Hoteo bridge near fiV ayby, , and although these cars negotiated the floods safely, later motorists were not so fortunate. The water was reported to-night to be well over three feet in depth and several motorists who essayed the passage had to be towed out. Although 2.69 inches of rain fell in the 24 hours up to 9 o’clock this morning at Whangarei, conditions are not as serious as is the case south of Maungaturoto. Nevertheless, a large slip is reported to have come down near Maungaturoto, at the entrance to Waipu Gorge. It is reported to be three to four chains long and will probably require more than a day to clear. Traffic will, however, be able to proceed from Maungaturoto to Waipu, via Dargaville, a lengthy detour, but one which was stated to be still open.