HEAVY RAINFALL GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 18 April 1934, Page 6

HEAVY RAINFALL GENERAL

REPORTS FROM NORTH TARANAKI. SOME RIVERS ABOVE THE NORMAL. After nearly three weeks’ dry weather heavy, warm rain, fell yesterday in- North Taranaki and floods in the rivers are reported. Between 3 p.m. on Monday and 9 a.m. yesterday a rain-gauge reading of 2.01 inches was recorded at the New Plymouth hydro works, *here having been particularly heavy showers during the night From 9 a.m. till 8.15 p.m. yesterday a further .51 inches was measured, making a total of 2.52 inches. The rain continued last night, with heavy showers periodically. Reports from other parts of North Taranaki indicated that :ain was general. It commenced at Inglewood on Monday night and yesterday morning was gauged at 2.29 inches. There was light rain throughout yesterday. Heavy rain at Waitara yesterday morning continued in the afternoon in the form of a steady drizzle, increasing in intensity to heavy showers last night. Service car drivers reported a wet trip from the north. The Waitara River showed no perceptible flood last night, but it is effected and its level may be raised to-day. At the bridge at Fitzroy the Waiwakaiho River was at least some feet above normal, while at the borough intake there was a rise of probably eight feet, it is understood. The Henui stream was three or four feet higher than usual where it passes through the East End reserve.

A substantial fall of rain occurrred at Auckland yesterday, following an unusually long dry spell, says a Press Association message. The rain came too late in a number of cases to completely retrieve the crop position but its benefits will be widespread. Green crops particularly had suffered from the lack of moisture. Strawberry growers can now prepare for the next season’s crops. Considerable rainfall along the West Coast yesterday, extending inland, was reported in a Greymouth message. The only damage reported was a washout at a railway bridge near Poerua on the Midland line,' interrupting the services until midday to-day, when the express, however, will not be running. The washout followed all-day rainfall along the line and due to timber damming a creek at the bridge, nine trains were affected.