SOUTHERLY GALE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 82, Issue 288, 6 December 1938, Page 6

SOUTHERLY GALE

ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TREES AND GARDENS SUFFER Wanganui was lashed by a southerly wind of gale force early yesterday morning, the wind being accompanied by heavy, driving rain. Although extensive damage of a minor nature was done by the gale, nothing of serious proportions was reported, the chief damage being confined to broken fences, telegraph and power lines and the flattening down of outbuildings. Early on Sunday night heavy rain s>et in and continued until shortly after 2 a.m. yesterday, when a southerly wind set in and gradually increased in intensity until it reached gale force. The wind was of a gusty nature, many of the gusts reaching a velocity of more than 60 miles an hour and alarming city dwellers with the possibility of their roofs being blown away. Orchards and gardens in exposed areas received the full brunt of the gale and suffered severely, orchard trees being stripped oi young fruit or denuded of their blossoms. Portions of the iron roofing of a number of old buildings in various parts of the city were wrenched oft by the wind and deposited several hundred yards away, the shutters of a , fish shop in Victoria Avenue were ' wrenched off and a tank was blown off its stand at one of the Government cottages in London Street. The verandah of a shop at the corner of Alma Road and Gonville Avenue was weakened by the wind and collapsed yesterday morning, while at the Wanganui racecourse between 20 and 30 glass window panes in the Jockey Club's new stand were blown in. Other damage of a minor nature was also done at the racecourse. The wind played havoc with telegraph and power lines and poles throughout the district and provided much additional work for the maintenance and service gangs. There was a heavy sea running at Castleclilt yesterday but the moles, althougn they were subjected to a hammering by heavy breakers, were undamageu Damage in the country areas was confined chiefly to outbuildings and trees. The Wanganui River was above iL normal level yesterday as a result oi heavy rain in the up-river districts, the water being lashed Into turbulent waves. Fortunately there were no expected arrivals or departures at the port. The wind dropped yesterday afternoon and the weather became fine and sunny with a cloudless sky. TAIHAPE DISTRICT SOAKED MINOR DAMAGE REPORTED (From Our Own Correspondent) TAIHAPE, Dec. 5. The Taihape district has been soaked by the incessant rain that has fallen during the week-end, but fortunately no damage of a serious nature has occurred, and the district has escaped lightly compared with other parts of New Zealand. According to information supplied by Mr. A. R. Fannin, of Papaki Road, Taihape, the rainfall for the last 24 hours ending 9 a.m. this morning was 1.48 inches, which is the heaviest full this year for the period mentioned. Severe thunderstorms were exqerienced in January and February of this year, and 1.46 inches and 1.47 inches of rain respectively were registered for 24 hours during these two months, but this record has now been beaicu by one point. At 9 a.m. on Friday morning .02 inches of rain were registered, .33 on Saturday, .28 on Sunday and 1.4 a this morning, and a total of 2.1. inches for four days. Shearing operations are at a standstill, and it will be at least a week before sheep not already in the sneu before the downpour will be dry enough for shearing, even if the weather does improve. As a rule many farmers have completed theii shearing before Christmas, but owing to the unseasonable weather anu shortage of sheareis, operations have been seriously hampered this year. Slip at Pukeakahu. The Pukeakahu Road is blocked by a slip that has coine down between Hintz’s and the Pukeakahu School, but it is expected that the road will be open for traffic again to-night, as the slip is not a very big one. No other slips of any consequence have yet been reported. Rainfall in the Kawhatau district has been exceptionally heavy and one shearer reports that flooding occurred in one area and a stream of water six inches deep flowed underneath one shed. Minor slips have occurred on roads in the Taihape borough.