SEVERE STORMS.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 December 1923, Page 5

SEVERE STORMS.

THUNDER AND LIGHTNING. HOTEL CHIMNEY STRUCK. CHRISTMAS DINNER DOST. By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, Dee. 25. Last Christmas afternoon the people of Chrktchurch were alarmed by a severe shock of earthquake, and to-day they were startled by a heavy thunderstorm which passed over the city at 1.30 p.m. Thunder and lightning played with alarming intensity for a few minutes, but the rain was confined to a couple of showers. In one case a number of people were deprived of their Christmas dinner. The gong had just gone in the King George Hotel in High Street when lightning struck the kitchen chimney and split it open, and the dinner, which was on the kitchen range ready to be served, was completely ruined by the soot and rig which came down the chftnnewi Lightning did other minor damage u| the hotel. Showers of rain fell later in the ter no on and the atmosiphere waa delight* fully cool after the recent excewM heat. SEVERE WEATHER IN SOUTK Dunedin, Last Night. • The .weather broke yesterday afternoon, there being heavy hail showers with a boisterous wind all night. 14 was fine, but cold this morning. In a squall yesterday, a ten foot aail-* ing bewvt capsized in the harbour, bdtk the occupants being rescued after being 30 minutes in the waiter, and were iit-an. exhausted condition. At Ashburton, a hailstorm last night was followed by four degrees of frost. y