ABNORMAL RAINFALL.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1924, Page 8

ABNORMAL RAINFALL.

STORM IN WELLINGTON.

MANY LANDSLIPS REPORTED. CONDITIONS MAY MODERATE TO-DAY By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. During the past three days a big cyclone disturbance has prevailed over the whole of the North Island, extending to districts on either side of Cook Strait. To-day the storm was very severe, and continued with unabated violence all day. Railway slips are reported in many quarters, and there have been landslips in and round Wellington, particularly at Karori, where the tramway power line lighting cable was brought down by a failing tree. Traffic was' held up. Storm water has given trouble in the city, there being an abnormal volume, which was more than the surface water drains could take. Telephone communication is interrupted in the city and at the Hutt. Officials quickly grappled with the situation in all directions. 'Hie rainfall has been abnormal. At Masterton 7.06 inches of rain were recorded in the 24 hours preceding. 9 a.m. today. The fall at Featherston was 5.91 inches and at Wellington 2.74 inches. At Masterton 2.95 inches fell in four hours. The. total rainfall for the month of December in Wellington is 7.44 inches, which, has only once been excelled since records were first taken over. 60 years ago. Present indications are for south-east to. south-west winds strong to gale. The weather will be cold arid unsettled and wet generally and stormy in and northward of Cook Strait. Further heavy rain and floods are expected in many parts of the North Island and the north-east districts of the South Island. The conditions may moderate to-morrow. The barometer wiil rise in th e north and fall shortly in the south.