TERRIFIC STORM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24817, 17 January 1942, Page 6

TERRIFIC STORM

CAPE SAUNDERS STRUCK HAILSTONES AS BIG AS EGGS FARMER'S SERIOUS LOSS While the thunderstorm which struck Dunedin on Wednesday was of such intensity as to cause mild alarm in some instances, the visitation was a terrifying experience for residents in a narrow strip of the Otago Peninsula at Cape Saunders. This district was battered by hail showers in which the stones were as big as hen eggs, and serious damage was caused on the only farm which was struck by the full fury of the storm. The statement of a resident of a neighbouring district, who said that half a crown would not cover some of the hailstones was said to be an inadequate description by the farmer whose property was swept. He said that when he arrived home some hours after the storm had passed he was able to pick up hailstones as large as golf balls. Unbelievable Experience “ The fury; and effect of the storm was so amazing that they simply would not be believed by anyone who was not on the spot at the time,” said the farmer, who added that the storm came from the south-west, and struck about three miles of the coast before passing out to sea. Two men employed on the farm, the manager and his son, \vere in the open when the storm broke, and before they could shelter they were painfully struck by the huge hailstones, and a blow from one of them raised a lump on the head of the younger man. A short time previously the children of the owner of the property had left the house in their bathing suits to go to the beach. It was fortunate that they were able to see the storm coming and to return to the house just before it broke. So great was the noise when the hail fell that those in the house were unable to hear each other speak, but in spite of their alarming experience, they were not prepared for the extraordinary sight which met their eyes when they were able to investigate the damage. In the house itself 51 diamondshaped panes of glass in the leadlight window's w ere smashed. Over 50 large panes of glass in the farm buildings and others in cottages attached to the farm were also broken. A crop of oats eight acres in extent was flattened and completely destroyed. “ The hail had cut the heads off the stalks and thrown them on the ground,” the farmer stated. “It appeared as if someone had gone through the whole crop with a scythe." In the orchard the trees had. been stripped of leaves and fruit, and the effect was the same in a large plantation of seven-year-old shelter trees. On the ground was a thick carpet of pine needles and twigs and only the trunks and bare branches of the trees remained. Roof Pitied The roof of the homestead was so badly pitted by the huge hailstones that it appeared as if someone had moved over it, striking it with a hammer. Each hailstone lifted some of the paint. As a result a coat of paint only recently applied will have to be renewed. The restoration of the house alone to its previous condition is not likely to cost less than £7O. When the farmer examined his lawn he found it covered with small holes, each of them similar to the mark that would be caused if the lawn were struck with force by a golf ball. The vegetable garden was stripped of all growth. Cabbages were split in half, and a half-grown rabbit was killed in the act of nibbling one of them. The leaves were battered off an area of an acre and a-half of potatoes. This, however, was not the full extent of the damage. It was found that terrified cattle and horses had stampeded and broken down the fences in several places, and a cow which apparently has a more tender hide than the others is covered with red bruises.

It is reported that minor damage was caused to cottages in the district near the farm, and the lighthouse at Cape Saunders was also in the path of the storm. There several windows were broken, and a child’s wooden handcart, which had been left in the open only a short time previously, was struck by lightning and split in half.