WILD WEATHER

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2973, 10 January 1917, Page 6

WILD WEATHER

UNUSUAL VISITATION FOR WELLINGTON EXCITING INCIDENTS SHIPPING DELAYED The storm which descended upon Wellington on Monday night was of unusual severity, and tho fact that the Inns: spell of warm, dry tfwiher had broken was forced emphatically upon tho notice of citizens. The change, which had been predicted ' by the meteorological experts, was heralded in the early part of the evening by occasional flashes of lightning and a marked cooling of the air .Soon after 10 p.m. rain began to fall, and very soon afterwards a heavy thunderstorm was in progress in the immediate neighbourhood of tho City. Peals of thunder sounded close above the City, and th«< accompanying lightning caused trouble at many points, owing to its interference with electrical appliances. The rain was exceedingly heavy and a fall of more than an inch was recorded within ton hours. • More rain fell during yesterday, and tho drought, which has been causing inconvenience in many directions,.may be regarded now as definitely ended. The Meteorological Office states that present indications are for strong southerly winds, with a westerly tendency. The public may expect cool, changeable aid showery conditions generally; the barometer will be rising temporarily soon in the north, but falling again in the south. The weather, in other words, is decidedly unsettled, and the rain is not all over. Lightning Does Damage. •' The electrical storm did not interfere with the tramways to any extent. The City system is protected against disturbances of tho Itind. arid" tho damage* was limited to the blowing out. of a few fuses. At least 100 telephones were temporarily disconnected owing to tho burning out of fuses, duo to heavy pressure of electricity in the wires. Tolcgraoh work was nnfc delayed seriouslv, but operations had to bo suspended at the Wireless Station, where the aerials wore T !earthed*" temporarily lost they should become heavily charged with atmospheric electricity; in which ease dangerous "blow-outs" are to bo feared. ■ A lightning flash struck the chimney of a house ;'t tho end of Landcross Street, on the northern brow of the hill looking over the Aro Street gully. The chimney was split down below the level of Hit© roof, and a ohimnoy-pnt. and several courses of bricks were thrown down. Tho people in the house were alarmed, but untie of them were hurt. _ As a nile the damage- done to eleetrieal equipment was limited to the blowing out of fuses, .buf. in a house near the he-ad nf Dovoji Street one of the china insulators of the electrometer was smashed. Lively Experience at Ohiro Home. Tho lightning did some damage at tho Ohiro Home, whero lightning struck tho chimney of the main building. Tho falling bricks crashed through tho wostcrn gable, making a big hole. Several mirrors wore broken in the bedrooms, and tho flagpolo in tho grounds was snapped in two. The telephone and electric light were also disconnected. Nobody was injured at the home. The heavy rain has cheered many suburban dwellers whose water supply has been short for somo weeks past. Residents in .Karori and Eastbourne particularly aro relieved to have their rain tanks filled. Tho position has teen . made secure at Johnsonville, where a shortage of water was threatened, and it is believed that all cause for anxiety has beep removed as far as tho Citysupply is concerned. On the Storm-tossed Sea. Extremely heavy weather was experienced by all vessels venturing to sea yesterday. The Mararoa, on her , trip upj met with hurricane winds and mountainous seas, which continually set the decks awash. These seas wore particularly bad in the Strait, and besides washing away everything movable the sea wrenched round a big steel chest, which was badly damaged, and also smashed tho little emergency boat, which was lying on-, tho starboard side, besidos doing a certain amount of minor , damage.. The smaller vessels of the : coastal runs were prevented, in many cases fro"m getting to sea The Opawa tried at midnight on Monday, but was 1 forced to return, and also again yesterday afternoon without result. She will leave to-day if possible. Tho Nikau on her trip from Nelson on Monday night ! was knocked about considerably, and . en attempting to get away last night developed air pump -trouble, which necessitated, her return to tho wharf. ' A number of the smaller vessels are sheltering round the coast. The Kapiti i and. 1 Ripple managed to get out last 1 night. A tempestuous voyage was experienced by- the Pateena from Picton last night, and she did! not get in until after 11 p.m. There is every prospect , of the smaller vessels getting away today, however. A Sailor's Forecast. Though the official forecast issued on Monday did not indicate that Wellington and the neighbouring district uere to bo subjected to a drenching of rain, there was at least one seafaring man who predicted it, almost to the moment; . He said on Monday morning that the weather was about to change, and that i tho City would get a good ducking, j The meteorologist's prediction was for electric disturbances, and shortly lie- : fore midnight on Monday both predic- ; tions wero fulfilled. During tho eveni ing heavy clouds moved slowly from the r north-west, hut later on a dead calm - fell. i "It's the eclipse of the moon," was I a frequent-comment.made, "h always . makes.it cloudy. Perhaps it will rain." The last sentence was said satirically. 1 Up till eleven o'clock the calm con- [ tinued. Soon after,that hour heavy i cloud banks gathered to the southward. 1 from which direction a keen, cold wind 3 began to blow about 11.30. The idea - that it w 7 as going to be a dry southerly 3 was held, even then, but before mid- - night the rain was falling. _ r A remarkable sight was to be seen . in the Tipper Hutt Valley, when the 1 wind camo from the south. Bush fires ' - which had been burning on the western f hills for tho past week were fanned to b fresh vigour, and over several miles - nf rugged spurs and peaks and ridges - the rod points of light showed. It . looked like a City on the hills, and t made a beautiful sight, which was - spoiled later on by tho. pelting rain. n The troop train from Wellington to ;, Trentham arrived at the oamp just i, as the heavy rain set in, and the sol- - diers lost no fcimo in covering the diso .tance between the station and their o quarters. d DROUGHT IN inTsblffH BROKEN i- TORRENTIAL' DOWNPOUR. By Telegraph—Press Association. s Christchuroh, January 9. The drought from which Central Canterbury had been suffering, severely for . two months lias beon effectively broken. \~. Rain commenced to fall at 6 o'clock it last evening, and continued throughout t- the night, tho fall to 9.30 o'clock this morning being 1.376 in. There aro pros-

pects of moro rain! Green turnips, etc. —which , looked liko a failure, are now assured. Tlio rain came too lato to materially affect somo of the crops, but the feed prospects are immensely improved. The rain, which lias been of immense benefit throughout the province, cleared off this morning. Tlio total rainfall up to i)..'!o a.m. was 1.383 inches. BENEFICIAL BAIN FOR DAIRYING Ry Telegraph—Special Correspondent. Wanganui, January 9. The change in tho weather conditions brought a beneficent rain which lasted all night and well into afternoon today. The turnip crops hero havo been assisted, and the freshened pastures will mean a new impetus to the dairying industry. Fanners generally are delighted with tho way in which tho new year is opening out.