SEVERE WEATHER

Hokitika Guardian, 27 July 1927, Page 1

SEVERE WEATHER

STORM AT I>U.\KHIX. (By Telegraph—Per Press Association.) DUNEDIN, July 20. The weather changed early this morning, when heavy rain set in. Throughout the ihiv, it continued heavily without a pause, and at nighttall it was gradually developing into a. storm. With the cold wind and driving rain all day. lfiic roads in the vicinity of Dunedin are afl'ecte'd. parts of the highway being under water.

STORM IN FAR NORTH. "WHAN(TAREI. July 20. Those districts most susceptible to flooding have suffered severely as a result of the heavy rains of the past -IS hours. At 1 o'clock this morning. Wliangarei was swept by a terrific downpour that bad the gutters running like mill races in less than live minutes. The attack lasted for 15 minutes,. and then eased off. The Whaiignroi gauge for the 2-1 hours ended 9 o’clock fhis morning registered 2.19 inches of rain, and tor the previous 2-1 hours 1.13 inches. The readings at Katun for the respective periods were 2.02 and 1.02 inches and at Ruatangata 2.8-1 and .95 inches. What, is reported to be the biggest flood in GO years is sweeping the country to the North and several bridges have been carried away. No service cars arc running between Kniiaia and Otirira. A .Kaitaia. report states that the rainfall for the inoulli totals 10.22 inches, as compared with -1.15 inches for the previous July. There was bright sunshine to-day. and little evidence in town of the doiige hut at 7 o’clock again the lowering clouds gathered and thunderstorms raged in the North and A\ est. The North train had a chequered career to-day. Ihe line was clear to Town i. but the area between Maromaku and Opahi (about 25 miles trom W'hnngnrci) is experiencing one of the worst floods in its history. Ihe tiaiu was stopped 100 yards on. the "W hangarei side of Opahi. on account of logs on the line. At this point the water was a foot a,hove the bottom step <>l the carriage. As the Opahi platform was inundated and the approaches were covered by several feet of tloor waters, the train was halted a lew yards further away to permit of the passengers leaving and joining. As the result of n big slip on the railway line north oi \\ a.iotira. the night train from Auckland did not reach Whaugaroi till 8.15 this mornin" eight hours behind the schedule. Minor slips were experienced south of Maungaturoto. and the train arrived there two hours late Word ol the slip was received at Maungaturoto. and the train proceeded as tar as Waiotira. where the passengers were made comfortable for the remainder ol j the night. After the slip had been I inspected. I lie Public Works tiaiu was dispatched trom Maungaturoto. and in a. couple of hours the debris was cleared away, and after hreaklast !(t Waiotira the train proceeded without further hindrance to W hangarei. The journey occupied 10:1 hours, and when' the train arrived the trout oi tiro engine and the underpart of the carriages were well spattered with mud.