SEVERE STORM

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 157, 5 July 1934, Page 4

SEVERE STORM

NORTH EGMONT HOSTEL HOUSE SNOWED IN I SITUATION CAUSES ANXIETY: [ Ter Press Association. ] NEW PLYMOUTH, July 4. For the first time since it was built the North Egmont hostel is snowed in and all communication broken. Snow is still falling and the North Committee of the Park Board is concerned as to the plight of the occupants of the hostel. The fall is tire heaviest ever known, and at the hos'iel measures six feet, with deeper drifts. This morning it took a man 20 minutes to go 150 yards from the old house to the hostel. The motor track is impassable for traffic, and the telephone line was broken up the track this morning. Snow has been falling since Thursday and the weight has crashed in the roof of the engine shed at the hostel. It is believed that the firewood is very low at the hostel at present. It is impossible to tramp up the track?* The last person to negotiate the track got through on Monday night. OAMARU DISTRICT SNOW COVERED MOUNTAINS.

I'KWtM BEAUTIFUL SIGHT. I Per Press Association. I OAMARU, July 4. With a bright sun and cloudless sky, the mountains west of Oamaru pretsented a beautiful sight this morning. The heavy snow is down to a very low level Frost was experienced this morning throughout the district, followed by a mild northerly breeze, thawing the surface of the snow. There are eight inches of snow at Omarama township ami sheep are being led with chaff. Yesterday there was ten inches of snow at Longslip, nine on the flats in Otematata and in the Upper Waitahi A alter.

Heavy snow fell between Georgetown and Kurow, and Oamaru and Tokarahi making traffic slow, but there were no stoppages. Work on the construction of the Waitaki hydro dam ceased for the time ''eing. The weather is now beautitully fine, with a cold breeze. So far stock losses are not expected to be serious. Oamaru town had onlr light snow mixed with rain. None lav on the ground. The worst weather missed the town. CANTERBURY PROVINCE WEATHER IMPROVES. I Per Press Association. | /’HRISTCHURCH, July 4. Alter rain overnight the weather has h'X'V' 0 ' 'k- tho r "' ovin, ' e 'o-'lnj' with bright, sunshine and a southerly wind. rntVL'V- 1 !! “’ Uch sno "' on the in] and oute to Kaikoura, but. elsewhere traffio is proceeding uninterruptedly. SNOW AT DANNEVIRKE HEAVIEST FOR MANY YEARS, RAC ES POSTPON ED. < Per Press Association ). . DANNEVIRKE, July 4. Uannevirkc and district awoke this morntng to find a mantle or snow up to three inches deep and more in places covering the ground. The fall, which lasted for a couple o f hours in Dannevirkc, occurred between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m.. and was the heaviest for well over 30 years. Many country places report tails up to four inches, accompanied hv henvv ram. Some telephone wires are down. The Dannevirke Hunt Club races have been postponed till to-morrow. SWEPT BY BLIZZARD district behind ashhurst HEAVY FALLS OF SNOW ( Per Press Association ). PALMERSTON N., July 4. Swept by a blizzard, which is still lagiug among the high parts of the | CS i >. to ' day ’ thc lcvcl » b °- Hind Ashhurst expeiionced lust evenrng the heaviest snowfall for years. The conditions aro very bad on the exposed south-east faces, where the snow is at remarkably low altitudes, this follows o:io of the most protracted spells of cold weather yet experienced in this distiict. At Ashhurst the depth of snow reached to two niches, increasing towards the Bills. Awahou South had the heaviest fall for ten years, the snow being six inches deep. Visibility i 8 almost nil owing to the strong southerly wind. Stock was forced to be taken to shelter. On the levels up the Pohangina iviver the snow 13 reported sever&l ieet deep. The mailman from Ashhurst to Apiti was unable to get through. A very light fall of snow was experienced in the city overnight. The Limited express arrived here nearly three hours late this morning after a rough trip. There was delay between Frankton and Te Awamutu owing to trouble with the locomotive and heavy weather. The Main Trunk section caused a further loss of time The guard stated that the weather conditions were very bad. It snowed all the way from Owhango to Hunterville, being 14 inches deep at National Park and six inches at Taihape.