LOCAL CYCLONE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 303, 17 August 1932, Page 5

LOCAL CYCLONE

(Press Assn.-

TRAIL OF DESTRUCTION ON HAMILTON LINKS

— By Telegraph — Copyrlght)

HAMILTON, Tuesday. Widespread damage was caused by a violent whirlwind of considerable intensity which struck portion of St. Andrew's golf links at Te Rapa shortly before 8 o'cloclc this morning. A trail of wreclcage was left hy the whirlwind, which was of almost' cyclonic severity. It was heralded by a thunder?torm and heavy downpour of rain. Tee-boxes were overturned, one being carried over 200 yards. Trestles were levelled and some were blown distances ranging up to 150 yards. One particularly heavy trestle, used for sawing turf, was smashed to pieces and the wreckage was found 50 yards away. A number of trees were uprooted by the cyclonic disturbance, ineluding a fine wattle tree behind the 3rd green. Turfing on the 8th tee, which was recently completed, was lifted and hurled some distance away. When it is realised that each piece of turf was 2ft 6in long and 1ft 3in wide and about lh inches thick and was also wet and heavy, the extraordinary severity of the visitation can be appreciated. It is stated that the cyclone spent itself before reaehing the other side of the river and it must, therefore, have been a purely local occurence.