TORRENTS OF RAIN

Taranaki Daily News, 22 February 1935, Page 7

TORRENTS OF RAIN

DELUGE OVER TARANAKI RIVERS RUNNING BANK HIGH. BENEFIT TO PARCHED PASTURES. Torrential rain fell steadily throughout Taranaki yesterday and last night. Most of the rivers were running bank high, with indications of still higher levels. Up till early in the evening no damage to the main country roads was reported and service cars were able to keep their schedules. There was a slip on the Awakino Valley Road, near the tunnel and the Public Works camp, but this was not large enough to prevent the passage of cars. Even the fact that floods and interference with, road traffic were inevitable if. the downpour continued for many more hours could riot, however, detract from the immeasurable value of the rain to the farming industry. At Manaia, the.centre of the Waimate Plains, where the drought conditions had seriously reduced dairy production, rain fell all day yesterday, thoroughly soaking the arid pastures. “This rain is worth thousands to farmers,” declared Mr. H. E. Johnson, chairman of the Hawera Co-op Dairy Company. Mr. Johnson told the reporter that though the rain was late it would be of great benefit. “We were in a bad way for the want of it,” he said, “but it is doubtful whether this rain will do more than check the persistent decline in production, for it has come just too late to bring an increase." In other ways, the rain would be of untold benefit, he added. It would give the ground some cover against frosts during the winter, and though there was .usually little growth during this time of the year, the rain would probably aid growth considerably. ■ ’ AMAZING GAUGE READINGS. Some amazing rain gauge readings were recorded. At Dawson Falls Hostel on Wednesday night the total of 6.7 inches was recorded in under 24 hours. Inglewood appeared to have had the heaviest fall in Taranaki. During the 21 hours preceding 6 p.m. 5.01 inches of rain was registered, 2.51 inches of this having fallen since 9 a.m. Inglewood’s record is 7.3 inches in 24 hours in 1927. At New Plymouth between 7.30 a.m. and 5 p.m. the official record was 1.43 inches, which with .71 inches recorded for the 24 hours before 7.30 a.m., gave a total of 2.14 inches. The deluge last night would have represented a very large increase to the total, however. At Lower Mangorei the borough council gauge showed a fall of 1.98 inches between 9 a.m. and 5.30 p.m., while in the preceding 24 hours there was another inch. At Hawera three inches was recorded between noon on Wednesday and 5 p.m. yesterday. The Uruti valley, which is peculiarly subject to'floods, was drenched all yesterday afternoon by torrents of rain, which commenced about 2.30. The Mimi River, which runs through the township, was running very high last night, but a settler told a reporter that if the rain did not cease the river would probably rise many feet by this morning. Rivers throughout the district were similarly affected, those with sources near Mt.

Egmont being more particularly affected. The Waiwakaiho and Te Henuiwere, bank high at one period last night and: much timber was being swept down. At ; Stratford, Eltham, Hawera and Opunake heavy, continuous downfalls were reported throughout the day and evening. The rain of Wednesday and Wednesday night proved a boon to the Taranaki Electric Power Board for the swollen streams and Manganui River that feed the board’s lake at Ratgpiko replenished the lake which had been depleted by the absence of any quantity of rain for some weeks. POWER DAM SUPPLIED.

Prior to Wednesday, power had to be drawn from the Government supply to make up the deficiency caused by the low lovel of water in the lake, which could not keep the turbines up to the output demanded by the load. At 11 p.m. on Wednesday, however, the Government supply was disconnected. Floods were feared in South Taranaki last night, At Hawera rain fell all day yesterday and the rivers in the district rose considerably. At Dawson Falls, the rain began before midday on Wednesday and poured without cessation through the afternoon and night. At times the intensity of the downpour was very great and a huge volume of water rushed down the several streams in the neighbourhood. All day yesterday the rain continued.

With a fall of 2.81 inches in eight hours at Hawera yesterday something of a record was established. For the 24 hours prior to 9 a.m. 1.20 inches of rain fell, and from 9 to 5 2.81 inches. Before midday yesterday the rain began in earnest, and there was no occasion from then onwards until just before 6 o’clock that the rain stopped. About 3 o’clock there were some spectacular showers, the rain coming down in torrents. The street drainage system - had no hope of coping with the amount of water, and at times the footpaths were almost entirely covered and the streets were under water for some distance out from the sidewalks. Fears that floods might ensue if the fall keeps on to-day gain ground through an abnormal rise in several of the rivers round Hawera. At the South Taranaki Electric Power Board’s dam on the Waingongoro stream at Normanby the water rose in 24 hours to 18 inches above the dam. and all yesterday poured over the dam, which has only recently been raised four feet from its old level. Rain in the southern and inland districts was comparable with that which fell at Hawera. For hours yesterday the downpour continued in the districts of Patea and Waverley and inland at Ararata, Meremere, Hurleyvilla anti Kohl •