VIOLENT STORM.

Wairarapa Age, 4 May 1936, Page 5

VIOLENT STORM.

MANY PARTS OF DOMINION SUFFER.

FISHING BOAT WRECKED AT ISLAND BAY.

HOUSE IN SAME LOCALITY UNROOFED.

WELLINGTON, May 3. Considering its extent, as well as its force, one of the worst southerly storms ever experienced swept over Wellington on Saturday. Temperatures dropped and gales of extremely high velocity were recorded at many places. The principal damage in Wellington was the wreck of a fishing launch at Island Bay and the unroofing of a house in the same suburb. Assisted by the high tide at mid-day, the waves swept over foreshore roads in exposed places, holding up traffic at Point Howard for several hours and making roads dangerous at other points. The ferry and ’bus services to Eastbourne were suspended. Heavy seas breaking over the seawall between Ngahauranga and Petone stopped Saturday afternoon rail services to the Hutf Valley. A brick chimney at the Wellington Public Hospital crashed through the roof of a ward and broke the pipe of the steam heating system, the patients having to be removed to another ward. Three were struck by

falling debris but were not seriously hurt. The air services across Cook Strait were cancelled and one ’plane on the through service lost time ‘between Blenheim and Christchurch, having to turn 'back to Blenheim from near Kaikuora. Sports fixtures were curtailed considerably in Wellington. The storm interfered with shipping, the Maori not leaving Wellington for Lyttelton until 11 o’clock on Saturday night instead of 7.45 p.m. and the departure of the Matangi for Nelson was delayed from Saturday night until midnight. This night the anemometer chart at the Bongotai aerodrome recorded maximum gusts of 88.5 miles and 87 miles an hour.—(P.A )

CHRISTCHURCH SWEPT. TREE FALLS ON MOTOR CABCHRISTCHURCH, May 3. But for a few trees and fences blown down there are no signs to-day that Christchurch was swept during the week end by a gale of unusual violence. This morning broke fair, with bright sunshine and by mid-day the keen southerly breeze died down and the afternoon was beautifully fine. From Friday night till the early hours of Sunday morning a south-west gale of exceptional force raged. Minor damage was reported from all parts. Several trees, many fences and even a few houses failed to withstand the force of the wind which, in some of the worst gusts, reached a velocity of 65 miles an hour. Falling trees broke light and power lines in a few instances but no important interruptions were caused. Heavy showers of hail and rain fell at frequent intervals and the temperature was bitterly cold. On Saturday morning there was a brief thunderstorm but of no great severity. Two of the most serious items of damage were the tearing of a balcony and part of the roof from a building in Sumner, used as flats and the blowing down of a tree on to a motor ear standing near it, fortunately without the occupants, in Latimer Square.—(P.A.) (Other storm news appears on Page

DAMAGE IN AUCKLAND.

Heavy hailstorm recorded. MINOR OUTBREAKS OF FIRE. AUCKLAND, May 3. A violent storm accompanied by heavy rain and hail swept over Auckland on Friday night and raged throughout Saturday, giving place to improved weather to-day. The storm caused widespread damage and interruptions of essential services but most of the breakages were of a minor nature and were quickly repaired. The severity of the storm was indicated by the exceptionally low barometer, which had fallen to 29.10 in. late on Saturday night. It then rose steadily. Telephone, telegraph and electric supply services were all interrupted for varying periods on Saturday. Five minor outbreaks of fire followed the breaking of power lines. Many dinghies and small craft on Manukau Harbour were swamped -by the high seas which swept over the Onehunga Wharf. Isolated instances of damage to buildings were reported and hoardings and hedges were blown over in the suburbs. Damage to the electrical signalling system J caused a number of delays to trains in' the area between Pukekohe and the King Country. Early on Saturday morning a broken 6,000 volt power line outside the Newmarket sub-station was responsible for the principal interruption in the electric power supply. Three houses and a motor van at Onehunga were damaged by a fire following the breaking of power lines on Saturday morning. Although telephonic services throughout the city and suburban districts were considerably affected little damage of serious nature occurred. Similar damage occurred in country districts but no area, was completely isolated for any length of timer Telegraph poles were torn down in several places and wires were broken. A wireless aerial at Kawau Island providing the only communication with the mainland was blown down. A hail storm of exceptional severity occurred on Saturday afternoon. At the end of five minutes, when the fall ceased, the hail had completely covered road surfaces, which appeared to be thick in snow and roofs and lawns were white. A severe gash in the thigh was received by Edward Brown, of Ponsonby, when a window in his bedroom blew in and showered

him with glass as he lay in bed. A St. John Ambulance driver narrowdy escaped injury when one of the windows of the machine he was driving at Manurewa was blown in by a sudden gust. Broken glass as scattered over him but he escaped without a scratch.— (P.A.)