FURTHER TORRENTIAL RAIN

Chronicle (Levin), 5 July 1946, Page 4

FURTHER TORRENTIAL RAIN

NORTH AUCKLAND DELUGED WHANGAREI. July 4. Following heavy rain and tlooding last week, torrenjial rain acctiired again throughout tlie middle of the nortli last night and contiinted todav, bringing in its wake more llooding. Soaked already to saturation point. tiu* land is shedding the water with the result tliat streams and rivers are ri>ing rapidly. Low lying areas.are flooded and roads are being made impassaiue by water and slips. -With a fa:I of 9.4S inches in llve days last week. and a further .Sfiin. to yesterday nioining, the Whangarei area could not ubsorb the heavy fall of 3.03 inclies to vdO a.m. today. Streams rose rapidly and throughout the town flood water was evident ou areas normallv capa'nie of absorbing average downpours. At 12.00 p.m., four hours after the prevbnis readiug, tlie Whangarei rainfall gauge sliowed a further register of 2.24 ins. In many parts of Northland flat land is flooded. One settler with 50 years' experience. describOs tlie flood in the Kokopu district as the fastest rising in. his memory and second only in size to that of 391S. fslips on tlie roads, some of big dimensions, have held up traffie but the regular road services and tiain services have not been seriously obi structed. The rain this evening shows | little sign of abatement.