HEAVY RAIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 January 1940, Page 6

HEAVY RAIN

OVER TWO INCHES RECORDED IN WELLINGTON

FLOODING IN SEVERAL PLACES.

ALL-NIGHT VIGIL BY SOME RESIDENTS.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day.

Heavy rain fell throughout the night, totalling 2.64 inches up to 9 a.m., when it eased off and later the weather became fine. The Hutt Road suffered some heavy flooding and there is flooding, too, in parts of the Hutt Valley. Low lying places in Lyall Bay and Miramar areas also show signs of excess water and several residents in Queen’s Drive below the bad slip that occurred last month spent hours during the night protecting their premises from further encroachment of silt carried over the roadway. FLOOD AT ABATTOIR WORKERS HAVE HECTIC TIME. SAVING STOCK FROM RISING WATER. WELLINGTON, This Day. Workers at the Municipal Abattoirs at Ngahauranga had a hectic half hour this morning, saving stock from rising flood waters which invaded the pens and covered the entire yard to a depth varying from three to six feet. The damage was kept down to a minimum but the abattoirs are today practically out of action.

z No alarm was paused by the heavy rain overnight but at about 7.30 this morning the stream was showing signs of getting out of hand and fifteen minutes later workers were striving to their utmost to save sheep in pens behind the main buildings. Sheep and pigs were carried out bodily-or driven to higher ground. Next came the calves and then- full grown cattle and all was accomplished without loss. Some motor vehicles were also removed from the yard just in time. The buildings were invaded by water on the main floor to a depth of a foot and landing stages easily four feet. The boiler room was well filled, water going over the top of the boilers and a large pile of coal was distributed round the yard, blackening the water anc’» leaving a flood level mark throughout the buildings and offices. With the coal was mingled quantities of silt which was an inch deep after the waters receded, which they did almost as quickly as they rose. Furnishings in a number of the offices suffered damage but the main block of offices escaped.

A house on the eastern side of the plant had a narrow escape when an usually tiny stream rose twelve feet and a wide area of the bank was washed away, taking the garden at the side of the house with it. Water ran high against the house and under it but none penetrated it. A pet puppy was rescued from a dangerous predicament on an island, amid a swirling stream.

TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR HUTT ROAD CULVERTS BLOCKED. MUCH DEBRIS BROUGHT DOWN. WELLINGTON. This Day. A torrential downpour between 7.45 and 8.15 o’clock this morning caused extensive flooding on the Hutt Road through the blockage of culverts byrubble . brought down from watercourses that have rarely before given trouble. Only one slip occurred and it is not of a serious nature, being well back from the road but the north bound section of the divided highway was made impassable and thousands of yards of debris were washed over it. At a quarry where three streams meet south of Petone the downpour caused the combined stream to leave its watercourse and pour over the road, carrying upwards of a hundred yards of metal through a culvert into the harbour. A considerable distance of railway line was also under water but there was little delay to trains. Several motorists who essayed a passage of the flooded parts of the road at an injudicious speed had to be towed out by a lorry but the harbour side of the highway was open and by being utilised for two way traffic, prevented any further dislocation taking place. The road has suffered no damage to its permanent surface and it is expected that this afternoon north bound traffic will be able to proceed again on its own portion.

STRUCK BY LIGHTNING DAMAGE TO WHANGAREI POWER LINE. BRILLIANT DISPLAY FOLLOWS. WHANGAREI. This Day. During a particularly severe thunderstorm in the early morning a direct hit by lightning was scored on the electric high tension switch at Kamo Road, accompanied by a loud explosion. Sparks and flames shot up, forming a huge torch and a brilliant display, similar to an Aurora, lasted until the power to the northern end of the town was switched off and the fire brigade arrived. The switch was of a high tension oil type, the voltage being 2200. Immediately the instrument was struck the oil burst into flames and the switch was reduced to molten twisted metal. Since a month's fine spell was broken on January 13. the rainfall at Whangarei has been 13 inches.