THE REGENT WEATHER

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 908, 30 August 1910, Page 6

THE REGENT WEATHER

i■' 11 V: "'V; -. - ■■."<!''■! \ ■'■■•■-■• :■ ■■ ■ ■; ;.,/', SEVERE-AT AUCKLAND. : ; V: HOWLING GALE ON THE^MANUKAU. • .■■•'■ J STEAMER DRiVEN".ASHORE. ■ . ' '■ Correspondent.). '~■.'■ ' .:'.-.. Auckland,--August 1 29. -_ -." ■ Yesterday was flie; wildest day e'xperi- ''■ ehoed'-in-'Auckland-for. : .two years past. .A • bitterly .'cold' south-westerly '.. gale '■ raged ~ on; Saturday 1 night/and throughout yosterilny,' accompanied by heavy hail show- . most', unusual'. thing at this time •'. d£'the, year!' Gardens and orchards suf- , fered severely. ,: : Many. b'oisterous : and : wild'.; days liavo . been recorded on the ; Mariuka'u; and along the West: Coast, -but'few.have Eclipsed that .of, yesterday. From early.- morning &' howling south-westerly' to westerly gale ■. prevailed; .'accompanied by heavy "hail- , ' 1 etornis at.:intervais.' Along.the Mauukau ■' .the "white horses"' were; much in evi- ; . 'dence-,".'a'nd, : its'-the day'.wore on, a heavy . sea'got, up.;'ln. the morning information was "received from the' signal station av thi, Heads that a big sea was breaking on " the bar,: but, after a'time, the wires.brok'e : doirn, -and communication with the'.station was cut/off. In:f.he : afternoon" the gale raged fiercely, -with a high sea run- . ning,'. the rfaves; dashing over the stone 'breastwork'..of. the-Mangere and the .Onehunga .Wharf. ,\ ' ; ". . ' .. .The Northern. Company's .steamer Ea- :* rawa wasi'tluo to depart at .3, p.m., but •'. Captain .'W. vF.-'Norbury,' :who" has.'some daring feats.in -rough : weather to his. credit', decided to remain at the wharf; The'.same company's, steamer; Waitangi, ■which has been anchored in the stream at . Onehunga : for a couple of weeks past, '■ came in for a severe buffeting, and, shortly after ,2.30. : p.rh'., ! : began to drag her' .anchors. The.drift. at ; the beginuirig was .gradual, buti..after : a :wliile, she drove '} rapidly 'broadside before the. , gale , in the ' direction . of. Geddes Basin, , and a large •number of; people watched iho v vessel, but ; ; it was impossible : to; render "any, assist-. ■':■'. once!. .At first it -was' thought that' the :-, Waitangi would, get into the basin safely, biit'.the .big seas.swung , her round, and Bhe was-driven up\the' etony approach to the mole near the Onehunga Kiosk. The l .waves , crashed- against her sides, \ and ■''"•forced her. against: the eid of. the mole, where 'she. grounded'aft,'; with her. forepartswinging; .In this.' position the .' ■ steamer- bumped; and. was battered about , unnicrcifully.'.' Fortunately; no' serious .. damage..was'done.'^:' ; :\'...'.:'-. '.■.'■ ', . ' - .\.yesterday..moining,;tho..Peton"o arrived .'oft'..the■■Mariu'kau'.Bar; which.was in ,a ~ mbst.turbulent- condition, , and. it was not until 10 o'clock .tha'tl'the passage inwards' was 'essayed. , ... The. bar.'at this time was' i>reakin<» for. miles' dut.iahd . Captain Jlnir ".states' that 'he'.felr, like gphig back;, for • ithe'big seas were dashing over the "vessel. ;.However, the niain , channel was ne- ■■■ gotiated safely,, and the 'steamer arrived : .as. above'X In liis': experience ..Captain iMtiir "does' notrecollect"; ever seeing the v -Tjar sb'bad 'as it was yesterday." On the ; ..bridge "-of: the Petone. there was to -be . *£een sand/that had been\dashed" on board • iy;the waves..':> ' ;:?" V; : - ■■' ■ ■ •'■'''.■■;■. T The roughest weather'of the season was ■ experienced' during .>the ' last two :.; days. :■ (says ; our; correspondent); '. : Snow commenced: to fall at' -11 , . ami.' on ■ ; Sunday,' and.' continued ■'-. intermittently, throughout .'the; day, .'and -night. The , higher levels, yesterday.morning were cov--jered: with several ..inches of snow. •: The : ".weather' , has:now."cleared; ::.among'-lambs is reported to birheavy.' j . V- A hailstorm of:great severity"broke over ' the.Otaki-district on Sunday,; and in a ; ehort time the ground, had the appearance ."■ of having encountered, a severe - snowstorm..". JJp .till.;late in the" afternoon the ' -hailiremained..yipible.in large quantities. ,The weather was eold,/and inconsequence' suffered -a'good deal. " ■ : A'.bitterly cold-snap has been making its' J '. presence felt; here (says our Wopdville correspondent), with snow:' lyiug. low down on Whariti and the Kumeroa hills. : ~ So. far .residents have'experienced a fairly .good winter,.with evidences that:a|genial :X- spring • was :! coming, \ but. ,the sudden ;/".;'change-; will, retard growths' and . delay :.' gardening.,,. '■■■■■:\ :■'■■',■■',.:.,>. ■■■■-* •.-.,-: ,: