GALE AND FLOOD.

Wairarapa Age, 20 June 1934, Page 5

GALE AND FLOOD.

RAILWAY & ROADS BIIOCKED NORTH OF AUCKLAND. HEAVY SLIPS & WASHOUTS. AUCKLAND, June 19. A heavy north-east gale raged from an early hour this morning, with torrential rain. North Auckland experienced the full force of the storm, which caused serious flooding in many areas. Seas in the harbour were very high and ferry boats were severely buffetted. The Wanganella, due from Sydney at seven o’clock in the morning, did not arrive until 1 p.m., owing to thick weather. Slips and wash-outs dislocated railway communication with places north of Swanson. The most serious trouble _was a large slip in the early afternoon at the northern end of the Waitakere tunnel, where about 400 cubic yards of material came down, covering the line for two chains to a depth of from 6ft. to Bft. It is not expected that the line will be clear until late to-morrow. The north express, with 70 passengers, was held up between flood waters which covered the line at Wayby to a depth of over 3 feet and a wash-out over a length of 22 chains at Kanohi. Food was sent to the marooned passengers by lorry and packhorse. Temporary repairs were subsequently effected to the wash-out and the express was able to proceed south to Helensville which_was reached shortly after 8.30. Many of the passengers were sent to local hotels to spend the night and the remainder were made comfortable in the carriages of the train and in the railway station.

Passengers on the down express had to walk through mud over the slip to its southern end, from which point they were brought to Auckland by service

All main roads to the north of Auckland are impassable owing to flooding. The main north road was completely blocked late this morning by a large slip in the Dome Valley.—(P.A.) CYCLONE IN TASMAN SEA. SYDNEY, June 19. High seas were reported from all coastal stations along the New South Wales coast yesterday. A number of ships are affected. The Weather Bureau reported that a cyclone was centred in the Tasman Sea,