TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 84, 3 January 1920, Page 6

TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR

I THUNDERSTORM VISITS MASTEIiTON. (From Our Oivn Correspondent.) Masterton, January 2. .A thunderstorm that was as plienom■nal as it wes sudden visited the town if. Masterton this morning. Yesterday :!ouds hung about at a fairly high alti:nde, but though rain seemed probable ioonev or later the weather remained 'iirourable for the various functions lie- • in;; held in the town and district. This morning the sky was still shrouded, though here and there it. was clear. About 10 o'clock,'however, ominous-look-ins clouds rolled up, and nt 11.15 a downpour started with unexpected suddenness. It continued unabated, with a fierceness typical of the tropics until 11.44 ' Within that brief spaco 30 points of mill was registered. The main street? and footpath* in the centre of the town were inundated, and generally much discomfort was caused to many who had come to town without raincoats. Perry Street and Chapel Street were specially affected by the flood waters, and' in tho latter street motor-oars wero backed on to the footpath in order to convey people from the. municipal buildings, which were surrounded by water, to comparatively high ground further away. Other paths in the centre of the town wero affected the same way, and later, when the waters su'lisidcd, the streets and footpaths had a coating of mud. As showing the restricted radius of the storm, tho outskirts of the town wore visited hv very light showers, only, whijo at Mataliiwi, two miles distant, and Carterton, ten miles away, no .rain fell at nll ' , ____________