WHIRLWIND AT NELSON.

Otaki Mail, 7 February 1919, Page 4

WHIRLWIND AT NELSON.

Residents near.the foothills between Stoke and Richmond had a terrifying experience on Friday afternoon, caused by a whirlwind of intense violence, which came from the hills with, dramatic suddenness, and swept across the country, carrying everything in ifs track. Fortunately the visitation was of short duration, and the area over which it travelled was not extensive. During the afternoon a str«i;ic wind had been blowing from the sea, and after-'a brief but heavy rain, the wind suddenly veered to the south-west. The meeting of the wind currents in the hills is believed by a writer in the "kelson Colonist" to have caused the whirlwind, which struck the .barn on Mr Walter Lusty-'s property, unrooting the structure and whirling sheets of corrugated iron into the air as it' they were sheets of paper, some being carried nearly a quarter of a mile. A glasshouse, also owned by Mr Lusty, had a narrow escape from destruction. As it was. some fifty panes of glass were broken, but the woodwork was not damaged. A crowbar-that .was leaning against the wall of the barn was deposited on the road. The whirlwind missed an orchard,' but. an appletree .in one corner was completely stripped of fruit. Sonic trees which had been felled were blown away, and a tent was razed to the ground. The visitation lasted less than five minutes, and was preceded by a tremendous noise, which resembled a railway train travelling at high speed.