RAIN IN THE NORTH

Otago Witness, Issue 3594, 30 January 1923, Page 23

RAIN IN THE NORTH

'■cMb FLOOD IN NELSON. NELSON, January 22. Heavy rain has caused floods in the lowlving portions of the town. ’iTie rivers are in heavy flood, and considerable damage has been done to crops. A large landslip came down on the Glenhope railway line, but gangs of men are engaged in clearing it away. HEAVY RAIN IN TARANAKI. HAWERA, January 22. Heavy rain fell all night, four and aquarter inches being recorded in 24 hours. A slip occurred on the railway near Manutahi. Difficulty i 3 being experienced in clearing it as the earth continues to slip as fast as it is removed. The mail train was held up at Ilawera and left at 2.39. Ihe passengers will lie transhipped. The weather is now fine, but further rain is threatening. All (he rivers are high HOUSES STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. . AUCKLAND, January 22. A severe thunderstorm passed over ihe city early this morning, a, house owned by Mi t unnold at Edendale being struck by lightning The current apparently struck the budding under the eaves, tearing off the weatherboards and entering the room where it caused a slight explosion of gas. rangy extensive damage to the woodwork was caused by tho lightning, and a curtain was burnt. Four children who were in an adjoining room escaped unhurt. The residence of Mr H. L. Wade, at 1 apatoetoe, struck by lightning this morning. Nearly all the windows in the house were broken. Another house struck was Ellerslie Vicarage, occupied by the Rev. i i The telephone wires outside the bouse were fused, and the flames ran down the wall, but the only effect was tho scorching of the weatherboards. January 23. A lightning flash that, is without doubt the most destructive that has been experienced during the memory of the oldest living resident of Papaloctoe struck the large homestead of Mr H. L. Wade, known as The Grange, yesterday. Mr Wade’s homestead is situated in Great South road, and is the largest as well as the oldest in' the district. Simultaneously with the flash, which followed a number of mild flashes, there was a loud report like the bursting of a thunderbolt. The flash passed away as quickly as it came, but not before it had broken about 40 panes in windows and ripped an old Norfolk pine, which was struck in a similar manner last year and killed for a distance of 30ft from the top downward. The pine, about 100 ft in height and was fully 70 years old, was 4ft in diameter at the base, and an examination of it showed that it had been lipped transversa]ly and then perpendicularly for a distance of 40ft up the centre. Pieces of wood from it were driven into the mortar joints in the kitchen window, and others were hurled over the kitchen roof into the back yard and into the kitchen orchard. Others were thrown into rooms on both floors, breaking windows in their flight. All the occupants of the house were dazed for a second or two. The telephone connections were blown out, and a jet from tho gas meter, where a plug had been removed while a connection was being made with the service upstairs, was set on fire, hut fortunately the plumber who was “on the job” seized a wet rag which he had by him and plunged it into the opening from which flames were being emitted. In the kitchen a piece of wood was torn off the frieze beard, together with the wooden plug to which it was nailed and attached to a brick wall. A brass -bracket was twisted and a mantel shivered. Other damage included the severing of a* sash cord, the breaking of the rusticated portion of Ihe weather-boarding on the balcony for a distance of 18in, and the spliri tering of three- banisters. The roof had apparently been damaged also, for all the rooms on the western side at the top of the house were found to be leaking during tbe heavy shower that followed the lightning-. Mr Wade’s house must have been right in the centre of the disturbance, for the shock was felt for a distance of half a mile in all directions around it. THUNDERSTORM IN HASTINGS. HASTINGS, January 25. A heavy thunder and rain storm struck Hastings yesterday afternoon. For over an hour the rain fell in sheets, and the street intersections and low-lying country were flooded to a depth of several inches, rendering pedestrian traffic impossible. The rainrecorded for one hour was 3 58in. No serious damage is reported up to the present. WANGANUI OVERFLOWS ITS BANKS. TAUMARUNUI, January 26. . An exceptionally heavy re' fall was experienced here during the list 24 hours. On Thursday night 2.46 in of rain fell, and by 9 o’clock this morning the Ougarue River had risen sft and the Wanganui River 10ft. The latter river overflowed its banks at one spot and two houses were flooded, necessitating the removal of floor coverings and furniture. ’lhe rain lias now abated, and the rivers are subsiding. SETTLERS TAKE PRECAUTIONS. NAPIER, January 26. Since the beginning of the year the Hawke’s Bay district has been visited at, frequent intervals by heavy rain. Few days have [lassed without some rain, which has been chiefly accompanied by thunder. Today a more continuous fall was experienced, and in consequence there was more surface water about. On numerous occasions heavy falls have resulted in small floods in Napier and Hastings, but the water had been quickly got away. The continuous rain is now having its effect on the rivers, which have risen considerably, and settlers have taken the precaution to move their stock to higher levels. The surface water in parts of the district is very extensive.