TERRIFYING STORM.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3883, 13 December 1928, Page 3

TERRIFYING STORM.

IN NAPIER DISTRICT. HAILSTONES AN INCH IN DIAMETER. ORCHARDISTS HEAVY LOSERS. Napier, December 11. Heralded by deafening, booming thunder, and A’ivid, almost blinding flashes of sheet lightning, the most severe hailstorm experienced for many years broke over Napier and surrounding districts this afternoon, and after raging with unabated fury for about two hours, left in its wake damage to the extent of hundreds of pounds in the form of stripped fruit trees, tomato plants, floAver gardens, ruined crops, and damaged glass-houses. 'The experiences at Park Island, Avhere the Old People’s Home is situated, Avere almost terrifying. Ice came doAvn in large jagged pieces and smashed through Avindow panes and a glass house. All the panes in one side of the glass house, Avhick is 120 feet long, were smashed by the force of the hail, and most of the panes in the other side of another house suffered to the extent of sixty panes. The ice smashed three windoAvs of a private residence and piled up six inches deep against the Avails. At Greenmeadows the hail in places Avas seven to eight inches deep, Avhile leaves from stripped trees completely covered the road. Several motor-ears Avere held up near PakoAvhai, south of Napier, being unable to proceed through the hail. Numerous eases are reported Avhere the engines of cars Avere affected. Haymakers in the middle of their operations had their Avork undone. In one instance a stack in the making three feet high Avas beaten down flat. The hides of several beasts were pierced by sharp icy projectiles. It is. reported from one place that seventy-five hail pellets were collected and weighed, making one pound. Orehardists suffered most from the visitation. Many rich crops in the Havelock, Mangatere, and PakoAvhai districts are very badly affected. ■Fruit being prepared for export is ruined, and it is expected that this will affect the output for the season. f This is the third occasion in six years that fruit has been damaged, the last time being in December, 1922. Although the course taken by the storm Avas broad, curiously enough properties side by side were affected differently. In one ease at. Eskdale a tomato planter lost heavily, Avhile a neighbour’s plants Avere comparatively unaffected. Moreover, the storm seems to have cut a clearly-defined field, Napier and the districts mentioned felt the full force, while residents in Hastings knew nothing of the occurrence. Very heavy rain fell in Hastings districts in the early hours of this morning, but Napier was untouched. Half an hour before the thunder commenced the district Avas bathed in sunshine, and beyond a black cloud or two well doAvn in the horizon there Avas nothing to indicate such a savago change in the conditions.