STORM IN CANTERBURY.

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 January 1903, Page 3

STORM IN CANTERBURY.

(PHR PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Ashburton, Jan. 27. A tornado of extraordinary force, and in a narrow compass, passed over a portion of Ashburton shortly after one o’clock, destroying everything in its track The largo sheds of tho Farmers’ Co-Operative Association and D. Thomas’s were partly demolished. The timber t in Tucker’s yards was scattered and carried a hundred yards away. Windows in the other business premises were smashed by flying pieces of timber and iron, and other damage was done, Christchurch, Jan 27.

A. very severe thunderstorm and showers of hail passed over part of Christchurch this afternoon. The thunder was exceedingly loud, and some time after the clouds had passed away there was a sudden shower of hailstones as big as pigeons’ eggs. First of all they fell separately, but as soon as the shower in.roased in density and became very heavy, large numbers of glass verandahs in the streets were seriously damaged and several windows were broken by the hailstones, which made f verythiag quite white for a time. Tee horses in the streets suffered considerably from th fo-ce with which they were struck by i :»i stones. The storm lasted for about 15 minutes. It was preceded by immense clouds of dust, which enveloped the citydming the storm. The ground in Lancaster Park was struck by ligntning and a large rent caused. The track of the storm was very narrow and no hail foil in some suburbs.

Tlia news from Leestou states that great damage has been done to the crops in Ellesmere district.