IMPROVEMENT IN WEATHER

Southland Times, Issue 25334, 10 April 1944, Page 4

IMPROVEMENT IN WEATHER

Flood Waters Recede A marked improvement in the weather occurred in Invercargill on Saturday, enabling large numbers of visitors and citizens to enjoy the first fine day of the Easter holidays. The Riverton highway was impassable at the Iron Bridge from 10.30 p.m. on Saturday until 3 p.m. yesterday, when cars were able to g6t through. There has been a rapid fall in the level of the water, but although the river is still swollen further flooding is unlikely. There was little traffic on the road and it was necessary for cars to make a detour via the Lochiel bridge. Although the Waikaka stream is falling, traffic on the road to Waikaka on the eastern side of the bridge at H°w e has been held up since Saturday. The road was still impassable last night, but the main route on the west bank was clear. A rapid fall took place in the Mataura at Riversdale on Sunday afternoon. Water was still lying on the road last night, but it was considered that traffic could get through to Waikaia. The Otamete and Waimea streams did not rise sufficiently to cause any trouble, but the swollen condition of the Mataura at the Otamita bridge undermined the bank on the s Otama side, making the approaches to the bridge unsafe. Barricades were erected and traffic was prevented from crossing the bridge on Saturday afternoon. Last night the bridge was still impassable. At Gore yesterday .the Mataura was seven feet above normal and falling. No reports of stock losses have been received in the Eastern District; QUEENSTOWN ROAD CLEAR According to reports received the floods in the Garston, Mossburn and Lumsden districts, which were caused by a I’apid rise .in the headwaters of the Oreti and Mataura rivers, have mostly receded. . The InvercargillQueenstown road is now clear and cars and railway buses have been getting through without difficulty.. Two men who were left in the Lumsden military harvesting camp after the remainder of the camp personnel had departed on Easter leave had a trying experience as a result of the flooded condition of the stream which passes alongside the township. The camp is situated in the recreation grounds and it is necessary to ford, a stream before it is reached. Torrential rain fell on Thursday night and next morning the stream was swollen to many times its usual size. The two soldiers were marooned in 'the camp for two days and yesterday they negotiated the stream, waist-high in water. The recreation grounds were covered with a sheet of rain water which entered the tents to a depth of three inches. Water entered the cellars of the Railway Hotel, Lumsden, to a depth of two feet and beer-casks floated until the flood subsided. . ’ BLUFF WATER SUPPLY .There has been a decided improvement in the water supply at Bluff as a result of the heavy • rain and the water level on Saturday was 12 feet. The increased water supply may mean that the restrictions will be partially lifted. A meeting of the committee of supply will be held soon to consider the position.

MANY TRAVEL TO RIVERTON

Popular Racing Fixture

Saturday was. spent quietly in the city, but large numbers of people moved out of town for the day. The weaflier was heavily overcast in the morning, but was fine and sunny in the afternoon. Late in the afternoon, however, the sky became overcast again. The Riverton Racing Club’s annual fixture was the principal attraction and a large number of people travelled to the course, although the railway travel restrictions, as was expected, caused a drdp in the gate receipts. Last year it was estimated that 3000 race-goers travelled to Riverton'by train. This year file number probably did not exceed 130. There was an unusually large number of cars on the road and almost every one carried a full load of passengers. This Easter has, comparatively speaking, been a holiday for railwaymen. ■Die number of passengers carried by express trains arriving in Invercargill from the north has been little greater than at any. time since the imposition of the- restrictions. DUNEDIN~DRENCHED Over Six Inches Of Rain (P.A.) DUNEDIN, April 8. Heavy and continuous rain from Wednesday night, clearing only this .morning, ruined the holiday for thousands. In that period over 6 inches of rain fell and a good deal of minor damage occurred in the city. A' dwell-ing-house at North-East Valley had its foundations undermined by an overflow from a creek and may become a wreck. Other properties at Logan Park and Anderson’s Bay were under water last evening.

For a period on Friday there was a danger of flooding at Milton and Henley from ,the Taieri river, but this did not eventuate. However, the MosgielOutram road was impassable near the Outram bridge. The rain caused a postponement of all sports, including the bowling and tennis tournaments.