GALE AND SNOW.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 November 1919, Page 5

GALE AND SNOW.

DAMAGE IN MANY TOWNS. SERIOUS BUSH FIRES. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Nov. 3. A northerly gale swept Wellington during the week end and was particularly severe in the Wairarapa district. Mastcrton suffered a good deal of damage, trees being uprooted and shop windows broken in. In one case crockery was blown out on to the street through the broken plate-glasa windows. A fire started in the bush on the Tararua Ranges in the afternoon at Kaituna. The Masterton Fire Brigade was dispatched to aid in fighting the flames. The whole range appeared on fire late at night. Mastcrton, Nov. 3. Mastcrton was visited last night by the most violent gale ever experienced and considerable damage was done to buildings, etc., amounting to a very large sum. A heavy thunderstorm also occurred. A serious bush fire to flie west of Masterton was fortunately put out by'the rain. Dannevirke, Nov. 3. A tremendous westerly gale, the worst experienced for many years past, raged throughout Southern Hawke's Bay -on Sunday night. Isolated- log fires \yere fanned into activity and, despite the greenness of the countryside, spread . with alarming rapidity. Dannevirke township was the centre of a ring of fires at Te Rehunga, Ruaroa, Umutaoroa, Matamau, Piripiri and Tiratu. Settlers were up all night protecting the homesteads and stock. In some cases outsheds weft destroyed, but so far no losses of homesteads are reported. The bridge at Matamau on the main road to Napier was destroyed. " Rain towards morning had a subduing effect on the wind and flames, but a heavy wind i» still blowing. The gale at Matamau was the worst remembered. Carterton, Nov. 3. Tim fiercest- gale for many years visited Wc.irarapa last night. Fences Rve reported down and a few buildings damaged, but nothing serious is so far reported. In the orchards young stone fruit suffered severely. SNOWSTORM AT ASITBURTON. Ashburton, Last Night. After a month of dry weather and sweltering norwestcrs towards the end of tho week rain set in on Sunday morning and continued throughout the day. At eight o'clock last night it commenced to snow and continued well into the night. A good three inches fell. '(Wliards were broken in all directions with the weight of the snow. Varioiis damage was done to gardens and telephone communication was' interrupted with the country districts. The snowstorm may mean the loss of manv recently shorn sheep. It is about thirty years since tho district had a similar visitation in Novemuer. DAMAGE ,AT TIM ARIL Timaru, Last Night. A sudden change of weather was experienced yesterday morning, when rain set in and continued all day, followed l>y.snow at 4 p.m. In some parts of South Canterbury the fall is considerable and it will do much dmnage to gardens and orchards, especially if followed by frost. CANTERBURY SUFFERS. Christchureii, Last Night Snow fell last night over most of the high country of Canterbury and on some of "tho lower levels. The consequences, more especially where sheep have just been shorn, are likely to be serious. In several areas the fall of snow is the heaviest recorded for November over a period of 30 years. From as agricultural view point crops and grasses will benefit exceedingly by rain which has fallen over the areas not visited by the i Sk\l%