RAINS IN POVERTY BAY

Taranaki Daily News, 29 May 1933, Page 7

RAINS IN POVERTY BAY

RECORD DOWNPOUR REGISTERED. SLIPS BLOCK COAST ROAD. By Telegraph—Press Association. Gisborne, May ■27. Heavy rain continued during the night and though the rivers are running very high there has been no serious inundation. The Waipaio River is still about eight feet below the top. Stop banks are safeguarding the property of residents on the flats. ■ The mail truck from Napier failed to get through last night, being held up at the Devil’s Elbow. The rainfall at Gisborne for the 24 hours ended at 9 a.m. to-day was 5.63 inches, establishing a record, beating by 33 points the previous highest registrar tion in 1919, and making the total since Tuesday 7.20 inches. Communication on the Coast Road is interrupted and the Tolaga Gorge is blocked by slips. DANGER OF FLOOD PASSED. ONLY LIGHT RAIN FALLING. Gisborne, Last Night. Rain which commenced on Wednesday continued almost intermittently until this morning, and then the weather cleared considerably. Since then only an occasional light drizzle has been experienced. The rivers are falling slowly and unless further heavy falls occur the flood danger is past. HAWKE’S BAY RIVERS RISE. FEARS OF FLOODING LATER. Napier, Last Night. Heavy rain which commenced on Thursday night and has fallen almost continuously since, has caused the rivers in the Northern Hawke’s Bay district to rise, and although there is no serious cause for alarm to-night settlers in the back country districts report that rain is still falling heavily and that to-morrow may see a more serious state of affairs. The rivers are very full and with heavy seas funning in the bay the water is not getting away as satisfactorily as it might. A slight break in the bank is reported to have occurred at Meeanee, but this has been temporarily repaired. It may cause trouble should the volume of water in the river increase. Settlers in low-lying country have taken the precaution to remove stock to safer places. The Napier-Taupo road is not in such a bad condition as the Napier-Wairoa road, but a motorist who arrived at Napier this evening expressed doubts as to whether it would be open to-morrow.