FROM SUMMER TO WINTER

Chronicle (Levin), 15 February 1947, Page 4

FROM SUMMER TO WINTER

Damaging Southerly Gale Lashes Levin After almost a month of beautiful summer weather, Levin and district, in common with other places over a wide area of the Dominion, yesterday found itself plunged without warning into mid-winter conditions. Some rain fell on Thursday night, but it was not until noon yesterday that the westerly wind changed to a southerly of gale force, whipping up the heavy rain squalls and making conditions ex-/y tremely unpleasant. Through- '.. out last night and this morning the wind and rain continued unabated, and has brought a widespread trail of damage. Thursday was Levin's hottest day this summer, the mercury soaring to 81 degrees in the shade at 2 p.m. Within- 24 hours it had fallen to 49 degrees. During Thursday night 31 points of -rain fell, while from .6 a.m. yesterday to the same hour this morning there

was a further 2.95 mehes. Gardeners hailed Thursday night's rain with great pleasure after two difficult weeks of watering parched lawns and plots, but the sight they pre- ' sented this morning after a night of severe buffeting was a sorry 1 one. Yegetable and flower plants in many cases have been broken down, and those which escaped this fate have been badly stripped of their foliage and blossoms. Most serious damage has resulted to power and telephone lines, and throughout the night and today maintenance staffs have had an unenviable experience. The Horowhenua Power Board's • engineer (Mr. J. F. Bryce) said this morning that power lines had suffered heavily • from f alling trees and branches, particularly from Otaki southwards. At one stage during the night there was a complete blackout for a lengthy period in the whole of the area between Otaki and Paraparaumu until repairs had been carried out. The line on Te Horo Beach Boad had been brought down and it would be some time before power could be restored to consumers in that locality. Another serious bjreak had occurred at Reikorangi, and the staff were busily engaged there this morning. "The damage to telegraph and telephone lines is very, very serious," commented the P. and T. Department's senior overseer (Mr. Gates), of Palmerston North, in a telephone conversation with "The Chronicle" this morning. "We have lost lines and main lines all over the district, c h i e fl y through falling trees, and at the moment it is impossible to assess the full extent of the damage." Mr. Gates added that the line staff were having a very busy time. No overseas or New Zealand news was available to The Chronicle" today on account of the telegraph line with Wellington being down.