SURFEIT OF RAIN

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 198, 7 September 1937, Page 6

SURFEIT OF RAIN

Rivers Running High in Hawhe's Bay N0 FEARS OF FL00D The spell of wet weather contiimcs througliout the nortliern portion of the Ifawke's Bay province, though at midday the indications pointed to the weather clearing up somewhat, espeeially towards the east coast. Ihe rural cominunity, as well as those iu the urban areas, would welcome a change tiow to iiner weather, as the eountryside has received a thorough drenching. Welcome though this drenching might have been a week or so ago, it is fclt now that the rain ''is becoming too much of a good thing, " and already many farmers report that tlie mortality among lambs and ewes is bccoining increasmgly high with each succeediqg day of wet weather.Reports from the outlying dlstricts indicate that the rain has been most benefieial and there is a surprisingly small quantity of surface water lying about, except on the low-lying country. During the past few days there has been hcavy rain in the back country and in consequence all the rivers and creeks are swollen. The three main waterways, the ruroto, Tutaekuri and the Tukituki rivers, all rose sharply ovcrnight to reach the highest levels recorded for some time. However, they would have had to rise. very appreciably further to have ereated cause fov alarm of lloodmg. Early this morning the Ngaruroro river just passed 4he 6ft. 6in. mark at the Fernhill Bridge but had fallen almost a foot by mid-day, when it was anticipaied that there would be a continued fall in the water, s-. There is some overflowing of the Ngaruroro river in the vicinity of the Pakowhai bridge, though not to any serious extent. The main road leading to the bridge is eovered by water for a distance of sevcrai chains and the small bridge, a few hundred/ yards on the Napier side of the main structure, is also under water. Veliicular traffic can safely pass these points without any cause for misgiving on the part of motorists. The Karamu creek, in keeping with the majority of similar small waterways throughout the district, is carrying an unusually Jarge volume of water. In the vicinity of the railway bridge the water is within a iew inches of the super-strueture of this bridge, but there is no surface water lying about tho nearby roads. •The Tutituki river has risen to a greater height tlian has been the case for a number of years, but there is no cause for any alarm. There has been oxceptionally heayy rain in the watershed of this river, probably more so than in any other portion of the district, except near the ranges^_ ln addition there has been much rain in the Central Hawke's Bay to feed Ihe many tributaries of the Tukituki river aad help swell tho waters.