TARANAKI STORMS

Hokitika Guardian, 28 June 1932, Page 4

TARANAKI STORMS

DISLOCATION OF SERVICES. LIGHTNING STRIKES WIRES. (Per Press Association — Copyright.) HAWERA, June 27. An electrical storm broke over this district in the early ,hours of this morning. It was particularly severe at Mokoia, where numerous telephone and electric light services were dislocated

.\cc. idiiig to the residents, the peals of thunder there sounded like explosions in the houses. For some,minutes flashes of lightning lit up the whole countryside.

Mr and Mrs H, Percy had an alarming experience when the telephone lines leading from the road to their residence and a. wireless aerial passing over the roof were apparently directly struck by lightning. The flash entirely fused the copper aerial,' no trace of which can he found, and it ran down the guy wire to earth, a large hole in the ground showing tho point of contact. A telephone fuse boxinside the house was shattered, fragments being hurled several feet down the passage way, while a flash illuminated the interior of the house. CONDITIONS IN AUSTRALIA. MELBOURNE. June 27. Violent storms with high gales, rain and hail occurred in G?ppsland over the week-end. Mnnv landslides occurred in the hills. Trees were blown down. One road was blocked in eleven places within, a mile. Tron telephone standards,’ struck bv Sq-htnins. bent like the letter ‘ S . At Leongstha, heavy continuous rains caused the creeks to overflow tlieir hanks, and many miles of flats weie submerged. The floods were the highest since 1902. All shipping was delayed. Two colliers from Sydney were forced to shelter