TORRENTIAL RAIN

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 56, 28 May 1927, Page 1

TORRENTIAL RAIN

SUDDEN FLOOD IN HIKURANGI NOR’-EASTERLY RAIN STORM SWEEPS WIDE AREA ANOR’-EASTERLY gale with torrential rain swept over the greater part of the North Island yesterday doing damage to roads and railway works. Hikurangi suffered a sudden flood, the water entering buildings in the main thoroughfare.

Press Association. WHANGAREI To-day. TXIKURANGI was visited yesterday by the worst flood known for 30 years. At 1.20 p.m. the water started to back up in the neighbourhood of the main thoroughfare and at 3 o’clock the water was over one section 3ft 6in deep. From the hotel corner to the theatre the overflow entered practically every building. At this stage there was 30 inches of water in the hotel yard, and the bridge was covered deeply. McLeod’s Flat, between Kamo and Hikurangi, was submerged by water over 4ft deep and communication was cut off.

The whole district was subjected to a continuous and terrific downpour from an early hour yesterday morning, but Whangarei, itself, was not greatly inconvenienced. A fortunate circumstance was that the electric supply was not interfered with. . t. This morning the water is subsiding rapidly.

TREES BLOWN DOWN

DOWNPOUR IN WAIKATO A LIVELY TWO HOURS Press Association. HAMILTON, To-day. Torrential rain also fell throughout the Waikato and last night vivid flashes of lightning were seen. A terrific storm swept over the Newstead district, near Hamilton, about 4 p.m., and tore down four trees in Baker’s plantation, blocking the road. The wind reached a high velocity and ripped covers off haystacks.

Slight damage was done to houses in the two hours’ duration of the storm.

IN CITY AND SUBURBS

MINOR DAMAGE DONE LIGHT RAILWAY WASHED AWAY The city and suburbs were swept by a storm of exceptional severity yesterday. A strong north-easterly gale blew all day and heavy rain fell steadily, witlK short breaks, throughout the afternoon and evening. Yesterday afternoon heavy seas broke over the breakwater in Hobson Bay protecting the Westfield deviation embankment, and washed away many chains of light railway. However, the damage done was not very serious and the resident Public Works engineer in charge of the deviation expects that aboLit two days’ work will be sufficient to replace the track. A heavy bulk petrol lorry came to grief while negotiating the temporary road south of the Manurewa railwaybridge. The vehicle on its return to Auckland stuck in the soft road and sank to the.radiator in clay. Surging water channels, overflowing at street intersections, made pedestrians pick their way carefully across the streets. The palms in the Albert Park gardens received a severe buffeting, but otherwise little damage was done about the city. The barometer fell rapidly yesterday to 29.55 inches, but it rose slightly during the night, and at 9 a.m. this morning read 29.78 inches.

SHIPPING DELAYED

ROUGH WEATHER AT SEA All shipping arrangements were interfered with yesterday by stormy conditions on the harbour and in the Hauraki Gulf. The hard northerly gale and heavy rain delayed work on the waterfront, and the Federal Line steamer Norfolk did not complete loading her cargo for America and Great Britain. She completed this morning, however, and was expected to sail at 11 a.m. for New York. The Government steamer Hinemoa was to have sailed for Norfolk Island

last evening, but her departure had to be postponed till noon to-day. H.M.S. Diomede returned to port yesterday several days earlier than expected. She was carrying out gunnery and torpedo practice in the Gulf, but returned to Auckland on account of the weather.

The departure of the Northern Company’s steamer Apanni for Totara North was postponed till noon to-day. The Kawau left for Warkworth yesterday morning, but was unable to make progress in face of the strong gale, so she returned to port again. The Arapawa was to leave Onehunga yesterday afternoon for Wanganui, but rain held up the loading and her departure was put off till to-day.

WELCOMED IN WANGANUI

MUCH GOOD DONE (Special to THE SUN.) WANGANUI, To-day. Heavy rain fell all last night. It was very much needed and will do a tremendous amount of good to the country. Farmers are delighted with the steady downpour, which extended over many hours.

WELLINGTON DOWNPOUR

COASTAL SHIPS HELD UP Press Association. WELLINGTON, To-day. Heavy rain fell almost continually in Wellington yesterday, and practically all cargo operations were held up. The Mara,ma left for Sydney, but none of the small coastal vessels left