TORRENTS OF RAIN

Waipa Post, Volume 49, Issue 3555, 8 December 1934, Page 7

TORRENTS OF RAIN

DELUGE AT AROHENA. While most parts of Te Awamutu district are parched for want of rain, one or two other parts have had l sufch a plenitude as to be am embarrassment. • Reports from: Arohena and Pukeatuai show that on Thursday afternoon rain fell for periods varying, according to locality, from half an hour to nearly tihree hours. In places the rain was torrential, and soon all the watertables and small gullies were converted to streams and pools. Actually vehicles on the uiunetalled roads becamle bogged, and it took several hours of strenuous work to extricate therm That sounds a " tall" statement, hard' to believe for the dwellers in and around Te Awamutu, where conditions have continuted dry and.arid, but we have no reason to disbelieve the statement. ;A heavy thunderstorm, accompanied by torrential rain, passed over Rtotoruja yesterday, according to telephonic advice to hand last night. The storm broke at 2.50 p.m. Gutters were flooded and footpaths were under Water in less than 10 minutes.. In the vicinity of the borough motor camlp the storm was preceded by a wind velocity, which carried thick clouds of pumice dust before it. Many parts of the Arikikapakapa golf links were under water. The rain gradually eased off toward 5 p.m. and by 6, p.m. had passed away. Late yesterday afternoon rain clouds were seen approaching Te •Awamutu from the south-west, and prospects were considered good for a soaking rain; but the wind deverted the llain clouds. Later in the evening, however, rain actually did fall for a few minutes—but there was not enough moisture to do any good. Reports from the neighbourhood indicate that a very heavy fall was experienced in most districts between Otorohangta and Te Awamutu and away to the south-east, including WhasJepuhunga, Arohena and Pukeaiua. The rain was, we are told, rather too precipitate to do much good; but some of it must have soaked into the parched ground. Away out to the south-west, from thq Kawhia hills towards Kio Kio, heavy rain was also experienced. It is to be hoped Te Awamutu will soon get its fair share of rain, for up to the present the precipitation is very much below the average for this time of the year.