THE RECENT THUNDERSTORM.

Otaki Mail, 14 February 1923, Page 3

THE RECENT THUNDERSTORM.

CAUSES DAMAGE AT MANGAIIAO GENERATING STATION STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. Mangahao boro the full force cf Thursday’s phenomenal weather and a certain amount of Inconvenience was caused by the effects ol the storm though not to the 'full extent of reports current in Shannon, and the net. result will not greatly delay the progress of the works, though the extraordinary summer we are experiencing is, of course, most unfavourable lor construction such as that at Mangahao. The volume of rain that fell in sudden showers on Thursday may be gathered from the fact that at the Top Camp the river rose eighteen feet under the bridge at the gorge, reaching its maximum at 11 a.m. The water subsided in the course of the afternoon until llie river level was only three or four feet above normal, Initiate in the afternoon there came another flood and at 6 p.m. fourteen feet above normal was registered at the bridge. As a result of damage done to the by-pass portal which turns the river from the site of the works, • perations will be delayed at Mangahao for two or three days, but no serious results are likely to follow. In fact the general effects of the flood are good since about a thousand yards of shingle and debris was washed away that otherwise would have had to he removed by labour. At the generating station on the Shannon side, lightning caused coni siderable disorganisation by strife--1 ing the alternator and putting part lof the plant out of gear. The small auxiliary plant was brought into acj lion and the supply of power to the ' works was maintained. When the ■ nature of Thursday’s storm is re- ] mem be-red. the undertaking gener--1 ally got off lightly. | A local resident, in conversation with a News reporter to-day stated lie had had experience of ihundeisiorms in Queensland and the tropios but he had never seen anything so vivid and intense .as the elect!' 1 .-'''’ , display at Shannon ****•*"' : ’ jcsierday.