Huge Hailstones and Whirlwind Sweep Town of Morrinsville

Grey River Argus, 13 November 1948, Page 4

Huge Hailstones and Whirlwind Sweep Town of Morrinsville

P.A. AUCKLAND, Nov. 12. Accompanied by a short-lived, but vigorous whirlwind, the heaviest hail-storm ever experienced in that borough swept Morrinsville for 20 minutes this afternoon. In an area of a few square miles, hail-stones, many of them about an inch in diameter, battered gardens and orchard crops. A whirlwind swept across part o! Studholme and Thames_Strems at 3.30 p.m., and in 10 seconds it caused damage to two business premises. There were no casualties. The hail quickly drove shoppers in th» streets t 0 shelter. The cannonade of hail and tne crashing of thunder drowned out al. other sounds. In this confusion of noise tne whirlwind suddenly swept across part of the business area, and amazed onlookers saw leaves and paper swept 50 feet into the air. The corrugated iron verandah of Liddy’s furniture store, in Studholme Street, was lifted into the air uno. was carried across the street, me window of a car parked nearby was smashed by debris. Seconds later the whirlwind ripped out part of a corrugated iron fence at the Bank of New Zealand's building in Thames Streets. Ten seconds after it first struck, the whirlwind had spent its force. Outside of its narrow track the air had been practically still. Plants of all kinds in the Morrinsville gardens were damaged bv the hail, which, when the storm passed lay about two inches deep on th? ground. Leaves of vegetables were torn to tatters and this evening many home gardeners returned to find their spring plantings virtually ru tied. Trees in orchards were stripped of fruits, and leaves. Districts only a few miles from Morrinsville escaped the full weight of the hailstorm, but heavy rain and thunder was general over most of thW aikato.