MONDAY'S GALE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2465, 16 February 1893, Page 3

MONDAY'S GALE.

The spire of St. Joseph's Church, Temuka, was again injured by Monday's gale. It will be remembered that some time ago during a westerly gale the large cross was forced slightly east-wards, and the iron bar which runs into the spire was bent through this, which had the effect of displacing a portion o? the top of the spire half an inch towards the east. On Monday it was further displaced nearly an inch towards north-east, and the cross was slightly turned. Serious results will most probably follow should another such gale as of Monday last be experienced. The wind had no effect on the largo hands of the clock, not a fraction of a second being gained or lost. At the Point large trees were snapped, others were completely uprooted. The school was in some danger from falling trees, and the pupils were removed from the infant department. The barometer fell nine points and read 28.8. Several stacks were blown down, and the orchards suffered severely. At Ashburtou after a sultry forenoon a terrific " southerly buster" came up in the afternoon, blowing a hurricane for two hours. The Borough Council's offices were partly unroofed. The Central Hotel was partly unrooofed and the windows blown out. A cottage was demolished, trees were uprooted, orchards stripped, fruit destroyed, and other damage done. Reports from the country speak of great destruction to grain stooks, and stacks. Fortunately the storm passed off with only a few drops of rain. One of the most severe gales ever experienced in Christchurch began soon after 3 o'clock on Monday afternoon and lasted till after five with varied strength. The weather just previous was oppressively hot, 92 in the shade being recorded. Clouds of dust were soon blowing in all directions, and most of the trees along the river, besides numbers in the domaiu,were more or less damaged. A number of tradesmen's signboards were blown over, and several roofs stripped of their iron. The scaffolding at Kempthorne, Prosser's new building was torn away and one man had a narrow escape from the falling material. The Canterbury rope factory's shed opposite the railway station, used by Andrews & Beaven, was overturned, and a number of close fences were completely destroyed. Reports from the country state that the damage done is very considerable to stacks of wheat, many of which were blown to pieces and the grain threshed from the straw. In the few cases where the grain was in stook these were levelled and more or less destroyed, The damage to orchards and trees is very great. The weather calmed when rain set in about 6 o'clock.

At Wellington there was a northerly gale in the morning with a light fall of rain.

At Westport there was a very heavy "all of rain.

At Oamat'U stooks were flattened, a few wiudows were blown in, and orchards and gardens d imaged.