SYDNEY AGAIN HIT BY HEAVY STORM

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5296, 8 January 1947, Page 5

SYDNEY AGAIN HIT BY HEAVY STORM

C--Widespread Damage SYDNEY, Jan. 7. Further widespread damage was done to Sydney, and in particular, the eastern suburbs, by hail, rain and a wind storm which lasted three-quarters of an hour. A block of flats at the seaside suburb of Maroubra was unroofed. Thousands of homes in Bondi, Rose Bay and Vaucluse, the roofs oi which were damaged by hail on New Year's Day, were flooded, and tram and trolley bus services were disrupted. A launch in Botany Bay was swamped and five occupants were saved by fishermem Ilundreds cf windows in southwestern suburbs were smashed. Plateglass windows and roofs were damaged hy wind and smali fires occurred when lightning struck neon signs in the city. Heavy rain early yesterday, leaking through roofs broken by the recent phenomenal hailstorm, almost doubled the amount of damage caused. The damage was originally estimated at over a million pounds. The New South Wales Government to-day took aetion to prevent black marketing in tiles following the keen demand which has -resulted from the unsettled weather following the hailstorm. From to-morrow all tiles will go dircct from the manufacturers to suburban councils, wjiich will issue them to homes damaged by hail. The Minister of Labour and Industry; Mr. Hamilton Knight, said the decision followed a conference of tile manufacturers and councils. Delivery from council yards to householders will be a matter cf local arrangement. The aetion resulted when reports

were found to be true that hlack market operators were hawking tiles in affected az*eas and- selling them at 2s instead of 8d or 9d. Nelson Suffers Bad Weather NELSON, Last Night. A severe southerly storm, accompanied by thunder and lightning, struck Nelson at mid-afternoon on Monday. There were so-me heavy falls of rain in the Stoke-Richmond area. Department of Agriculture officials state it is too early to estimate any possible damage to crops. Reports indicate that the main fruit growing area escaped the storm.