ROUGH WEATHER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 137, 28 October 1912, Page 5

ROUGH WEATHER.

STORMS IN THE SOUTH. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Wellington was visited yesterday by an atrociously heavy gale, accompanied by drenching.- ruin. The early .morning was fairly line, but about 11 o'clock a southerly blizzard sprang up suddenly, and increased in violence throughout the afternoon, making outdoor traffic extremely difficult. Trees were uprooted and fences blown down in many placei. The harbor was very rough, and th« water washed over the railway line between Wellington and Petone. The train* came along very slowly, and spray was thrown against the windows. To-day there is a remarkable change, the wea« ther being well nigh perfect. The Arahura, which left Wellington at 1 p.m. on Saturday for Picton, encountered a dangerous breaking sea at the entrance. After rolling about helplessly in the trough of the seas, the steamer was turned and got back to the wharf. During the turning the main discharge pipe burst, and a quantity of water almost filled the stokehold. The saloon was flooded ,out,, and the deck cargo and a motor-car were damaged. It is the first time in seven years that the Arahura has been unable to get out of Wellington. .She resumed her voyage at 8 o clock this morning. Other vessels which experienced an exciting time were the Mapourika, which arrived at 0 p.m. on Saturday from Nelson, the Rimutaka, bound for Lyttelton, which put. back at 2 p.m. on Saturday! and the Ilimitangi,/which arrived at 8.35 a.m. to-day from Lyttelton. The biff liner Arawa arrived from Auckland at 7.20 a.m. to-day, after a tempestuous passage. To-day's arrivals from the south report fine weather, with a slight swell. The Takapuna, which arrived at Wellington this morning, was unable to attempt to cross the Straits last night. Palmerston North, Last Night. A heavy fall of snow, lasting an hour, was experienced at Palmerston on Saturday afternoon. It is unprecedented at. this time of the year, and has not been experienced for the last twenty-five years. The Tararua and Rualiiiic ranges are covered with a beautiful white mantle, which lias encircled the whole district, and they present a magnificent eight. To-day all appearance of the snow had vanished, but as a result of the rapid melting the Manawatu river, which provides the chief drainage of the district, had grown into a swollen torrent. inundating 'ow-Iying country. Tnc weather has again changed back to summer.

THE STORM IN CIIRISTCfIURCH. Christchurch, Last Night. A terrific southerly gale struck the citv on Saturday morning, and raged furiously throughout the day. Shortly after half-past seven snow began to fall in heavy flakes, but it gave way to driving rain. The gale had a disastrous effect on fruit trees, hundreds being stripped, and the result will probably be a. greatly-diminished fruit crop. Several chains of fences were blown down in different parts of the city. The gale was severely felt on the Cashmere Hills, where two or three chimneys belonging to houses in the settlement were brought to the ground. Newly-shorn sheep in the country felt the force of the gale. The weather will also affect the late lambing on the Hills. The gale broke over Sumner at 5 o'clock on Friday night with hurricane force, and increased in severity all through the night, accompanied by driving rain, hail and sleet. A substantial six-roomed house in course of erection at Redcliffs was levelled to the ground during' the night, and a number of small outhouses are also lying flat. Another 12-roomed house in course of erection on "The Spur," at lledcliffe, was also blown down.

After a passage of nearly seventeen hours the Maori arrived at port at 1 p.m.. steaming up the harbor in the teeth of fierce squalls. Captain Aldwell informed a reporter that it had been blowing a hurricane all the way from Wellington Heads, and the trip was the worst the Maori had ever experienced in her five years' running. The sea started to make when the Maori was ten miles to the northward of Cape Campbell, and the weather conditions became rapidly worse as she steamed full speed in the teeth of the g:ile. No other vessel on the coast could have come through in the time taken by the Maori, her highpowered turbines giving her a big advantage over other steamers. In consequence of the weather, all cricket, bowling and tennis matches set down for Saturday were postponed.