BLINDING FLASH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 August 1939, Page 8

BLINDING FLASH

LIGHTNING AFFECTS TRAM SERVICE IN POINT CHEVALIER DISTRICT. DELUGE IN AUCKLAND CITY. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND. August 15. A blinding flash of lightning, which • occurred during an electric storm be- ; tween 6.30 and 7 o'clock this morning. ; affected the tramway service in the > Point Chevalier district, two cars being t temporarily put out of action. The thunder was particularly loud • one clap being described as the loudest heard in Auckland for many years. The flash is believed to have struck I the overhead tram wires and travelled 1 along them till it was earthed through the lightning arresters of two tramcars. ■ A fuse was blown in one of the cars and slight damage was caused to the ■ other. Both were brought to the city depot under their own power after brief delay, and were returned to service after repairs had been carried out. It was stated by Mr A. E. Ford, manager of the Auckland Transport Board, that such occurrences were not rare. The equipment of tramcars rendered them completely safe, however, in such circumstances, and no effect would be experienced by the passengers in the cars at the time. The only effect would be a stoppage of motors as the result of the interruption of the supply of power. Heavy rain squalls were experienced throughout Monday night, a particularly heavy shower, which deluged the city area about 1.45 a.m., flooding gutters and turning Queen Street into a rushing stream of water. Heavy bursts of thunder occurred at intervals during the early hours of the morning, culminating in a severe storm at 6.30 o’clock. Residents of the western suburbs area, which was most affected were startled out of their sleep by one terrific clap, the burst being followed by dead calm.