WILD WEATHER

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 210, 24 May 1918, Page 5

WILD WEATHER

PROLONGED THUNDERSTORM AND TORRENTIAL RAINS Without any particular warning, Wellington was subjected to a most violent thunderstorm yesterday. It lasted from the pre-dawn hours of yesterday until last ovoning, and was marked by violont bursts of torrential rain at intervals throughout tho day. The prelude to the storm wiis a heavy downpour at about 2 a.m., which, after a temporary lull, set in again after 6 a.m., accompanied with vivid flashes of lightning and majestic volleys of thunder, which set up quito a vibration in tho nir. Though tho wind j was not particularly boisterous at any stage, the violence of the showers was quito remarkable in force and density. The forenoon found tho clouds still lowering gloomily, with frequent showers of spiteful hail and rain. Ono of tho heaviest rainfalls occurred between noon and 1 p.m., when the heavy rain descended in sheets, and the citv culverts were severely taxed to cope with the phonomcnnl downfall. The rain smote the city buildings and wood-blocks with such force as to cause clouds of spray to rainglo with the rush of water from tho streaming heavens, making it difficult to see at all clearly very far, and turning many of the graded streets into tearing cataracts. There was a wild torrent of muddy water rushing down Upper Willis Street, and' flooding out and over the footpaths in Manners Street. Some of tho houses iu that part of Kolbum immediately below Central Parade were invaded by the irresistiblo rush of waters from tho higher land, and all tho streets were converted for the nonco.into animated waterways. The rush of water from Talavera Tcrraco and beyond down to tho Overton Terrace bridgo was something to bo remembered. One effect was the erosion of tho asphalt footpaths. The most serious evidence of the strength of tho disturbance was in Iladfield Terrace, whero a chimney collapsed. Tho falling bricks wore hurled from thoir emplacement witn such forco that they ponetrated tho roof and actually caused slight damage, to a stovo in tho room below. No one was injured, but the occupants roooived a fright, and had an anxious time getting rid of tho wator which gushed into tho house through tho vents in tho roof. Thero wero temporary floods in tho city. A largo area was flooded at tho foot of Tory Street and iu Courtenay Place, and tho torrent which rushed down Roxburgh and Majoribanks Streets was too. much for tho sumps to nogotiato for tho time, being. Thore was also a foot of water on tho woodblocks at the Caledonian Hotel corner, whore the water threatened for a time to invndo tho hotel, and did find its way through the ventilators into the cellar. At the John Street; corner in Adelaido Road a Rood deal of silt was brought down by the lltvt), and lay thick upon the wood-Woek» throughout the afternoon. Several ooL lars in tho city were flooded, lm( v,o damago of moment hns Ureiv ro\H\vtcd, Tho cars wore held up hero and (hew by deposits of silt and gravel, but i\« tho whole the services were without any hitches worthy of nolo. Xo serious slips were reported. ThMndvout tho greater part of the day ; lV light was very bad. and in ww-M of '<},<• shops artificial light had' to l«> VA--\ivved j to. evon at midday. !

Towards evening the paoked olortdp rolled away irradnally. and alter.* y,.r,v. fbo stars sho«f> mil brightly iYom A velvet dome, mid the earth w.vi! v <tli llio fresher For Iho sound washi'ivy $i\v-n Shipping whs considerably stfootAi bv ilio etorm, and (he XlavatwaV arrival from Lyttollon was delayed iittti) fhoyl--ly before fl n.tn. Oilier w?At irw also held up. The l\iner«a. \v.n 5m rIxiiiud n(: flreviiuinlli. »V<t (he l\ataVnt\ was also unable In K' 1 ' «*'iy fw>n \V<V-I-Dnrini: llio rvi>Miif. fllthmieh (he r-ly eleared, Mip i wind iuoro<\«c<l t\\ force, Present, indications, aivovdins to (he forecast of llw llovormnoni Xleteoro,. lop;isl. are for hi|jh westerly vriads and stormy weather, with rain ivenerally. The liaromoler is likely In remain unsteady,