A STRONG WHIRLWIND

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 210, 14 December 1910, Page 7

A STRONG WHIRLWIND

A PALMERSTON SENSATION. The following is a fuller account of a , curious affair at Palmerston North:— A remarkable atmospheric disturbance took place shortly before noon on Friday, culminating in a whirlwind of gigantic proportions and a heavy thunderstorm. The first intimation' of the approaching storm was a sudden loud Iclap of thunder unaccompanied by rain, which sent hundreds of people into the streets. The sky over the eastern pari of the town presented a curious aspect. From a mass of inky black clouds a long funnel-shaped cloud eould be seen working its way downyards with terrific speed, only to be drawn back towards the clouds, where, after a series; of uncanny and snakelike movements for nearly {en minutes, it burst, emptying quantities of dust and rubbisk gathered in its passage. The disturbance was at first thought to be a huge waterspout, and it had a terrifying effect on nervous people witnessing it. The noise was terrific as it gathered such unconsidered trifles as verandahs, top of a stable, sheets ot iron, kerosene tins, pieces of wood and rubbish of every description. One of the teachers at the Terrace End school happened to be at the back of the buildings at the time, and hearing a terrific din, he looked up and saw the whirlwind apparently coming direct for .the school. He thought it would be well to get the children out of the building. The children became panic-stricken, but fortunately succeeded in getting out of the school without any mishap. j The roof of a stable was torn off, lifted ten or twenty feet into the air, carried a couple of hundred yards, and deposited in a paddock. The half-sec-tion of a strongly-built fence was levelled to the ground, the posts being torn up and the wire wrenched from the staples. The whirlwind then travelled across the road to a house, struck the verandah, and almost demolished it, iron and verandah posts being loft in a confused heap on the floor. The force was then spent. The whirlwind was seen from Ashhurst. A phenomenan connected with the cyclone was that during the thunderstorm which followed only a few drops of rain fell over the town. A heavy hailstorm was, however, experienced at Stoney Greek, and considerable damage was done to gardens and fruit crops.