RAIN & GALE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1747, 12 May 1913, Page 6

RAIN & GALE.

WASH-OUTS ON THE KUTT LINE RIVERS RUNNING HIGH. THE ARRIVAL OF "TROJAN." (Wellington and, it appears,. most of the rest of New Zealand was thrashed by heavy raia, driven by a southerly blowing in fierce gusts all day yesterdav. On Saturday afternoon a soft but steady rain commenced to fall shortly after 2 p.m. At that time there was no wind except the lightest of airs- from the north, but towards nightfall tho southerly arrived, and promptly began develop into half a gale. The change in the wuul was marked by a decided drop in temperature.

The,storm, or one to which it is own •cousin, has been heralded by Mr. Clement Wrngge, who cabled to tho Press Association at. Auckland on Saturday: "Do- , minion warned disturbance named Trojan approaching.." If Mr. Wragge's fore'eist is justified—it certainty' is so' far as Wellington is concerned— it' would seem that the stonn liae ; still some strength unexpended. Tho heavy sea running in the harbour made two wash-outs on the railway track between Wellington and Petone yesterday The wash-outs are at Kaiwarra and a little to the north of Ngaliauranga. At both places the. down line, tho se.iwrd track, was unsafe, and will remain so until the weather will permit of repairs being effected. Trains between'Weliington and Petone will have to be run on the up—or landward—line. Inland, the downpour seems to 'have been 110 less severe. Our Masterton correspondent telegraphed yesterday t™ "Heavy and continuous rain fell hero last night, Hooding thoroughfares. The rivers are running very high to-day, and snow has fallen on low-lying ranges." ; AUCKLANDERS ALARMED. HURRICANE SQUALLS STRIKE THE CITY. (By Telegraph.—Speoial Correspondent.) ■ ■ Auckland, May 11. The "Trojan" disturbance announced by Mr. Clement Wragge fronv.South Australia duly arrived in Auckland on Saturday evening, and at tho time of telegraphing, 21 hours later, the aftermath is still with us. The "Trojan" first came along in tho form of an electrical display with its concomitant peals of thunder, sheets and streaks of lightning, aud a torrential downpour of rain. The wind gradually increased in force until (shortly after 9 o'clock) there came a cyclonic interlude, which swept through the city and near suburb', playing havoc in several directions. This outburst fortunately only lasted from five to ten minutes. Dwellings were shaken, iron sheets wore torn from the roofs of houses, wooden buildings rocked perilously, and many windows were smashed, including some of the plateglass fronts to shops. At intervals throughout the whole of Saturday night-and until dawn on Simday the tempest, broke furiously, affrighting women and children and keeping a very large percentage of the timid population awake. The fiercest onslaught' made by the wind was the first one. a't about 9'o'clock. After that. the. gale died down, oxcept for fitful squalls of greater violence until 1 a.m. There then burst upon the city another cyclonic disturbance, accompanied by , a perfect deluge of cold rain. Once moro houses- .shook before the force of the chilling wind, whilst windows rattled v in the roaring blast. This tornadoliko squall soon blew itself out, to be succeeded by vivid lightning and the rumble and crash of thunder. _ A third period of terrifying wuul-fury occurred at 2.30 a.m., and two hours later, after another interval of sheet aiul forked lightning, torrential rain, and continuous peals of thunder, there c.yne a fourth fierce blow. A long lull followed, during which the wind subsided somewhat, but the rain' fell unceasingly. and the sky was moro or continuously illuminated by the "brilliant play of the lightning amongst the electrically-chared cloud?. .\t 5.30 a.m. the* savagery of the storm, spent itself in a final visitation, almost as furious as its predecessors. When this had passed tho rested for a \\hile, day breaking in comparative peacefulness. Throughout the whole of Sunday morning, however, a persistent westerly gale prevailed, with heavy intermittent showers. Tho afternoon saw litjtle improvement. The full list of the damage done by tree cvclone has not yet been compiled. 11l Nowton, however, hro'huge plate-glass windows were blown clean out of Messrs. Hallenstein Bros.' mercery shop, to the imminent peril of passers-by. A wooden sign over Mr. H. O. Wile's chemists slibp was also flung bodily from the verandah top on to the tram tracks, just missing a passing tram car. A hawkers cart full of oranges was bodily overturned, and there were many other more or less exciting incidents.

GALE AT CRRISTCHTJRCH. (By teleeraph.—Press Association.) Christchurch, May 11. A heavy( south-west gale is raging, with driving rain and sleet. SNOW IN THE SOUTH. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Inveroarglll, May 10. There was a fairly heavy fall of snow, general throughout Southland, last night. it lay 2ih- (fcep in tow " morning. Old inhabitants declare this winter to bo the earliest known. *