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Mon 26 Mar 1906 - The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954)
Page 7 - GREAT RAINSTORM. VIOLENT ELECTRICAL DISTURBANCE WASHAWAY ON THE MOUNTAINS. RAILWAY TRAFFIC SUSPENDED.
GREAT RAINSTORM.
- ? ??' ?
VIOLENT ELECTRICAL
DISTURBANCE
WASHAWAY ON THE MOUNTAINS.
RAILWAY TRAFFIC SUSPENDED.
THE CITY IN DARKNESS.
i DAMAGE IN THE SUBURBS.
I A phenomenal downpour of rain occurred
during tho progress of a violent thunder-
storm towards midnight on Saturday, and con-
tinued until the early hours of yesterday
morning. Tho approach of the storm was
heraldcd as early as 7 o'clock on Saturday
evening by almost continuous flashes cf vivid
lightning, and as the evening wore on peals
of thunder were nudlble in the distance. The
conditions throughout the evening were very
oppressive, and it was evident that a storm
of exceptional intensity was travelling to-
wards tho city.
It would appear from reports to hand from
different districts that the rain distribution
was very unequal-a common feature of elec
trical disturbances. Tho heaviest rains seem
to have fallen towards the foot of the Blue
Mountains, and over the plains beneath. At
St. Marys upwards of 6 inches of rain was
registered within a very short space of time,
while at Penrith 1.5 inch fell in less than 40
minutes.
Extensive damage was dene at Glenbrook
the first station on the Mountains. The force
,of the water rushing down tho side of the
mountains to the Nepean was so great that
portions of the permanent way wore torn up,
whlle the violence of the wind bent and
snapped great trees. A serious washaway
occurred near tho entrance to tho Lapstone
tunnel, and railway traffic had to be sus-
pended, while gangs of workmen effected re-
pairs. Our correspondent says that lengths
of rails with sleepers attached were carried
for a considerable distance. At Parramatta
a wooden bridge which spanned tho rlver
was bodily carried away by the maddening
stream, and great damage was done to the
orchards. In many places the storm was
accompanied by hail.
Although light rain commenced to fall in
Sydiioy shortly before 11 o'clock it was not
until the early hours of yesterday morning
that the centre of the disturbance passed
over the city and suburbs. For a time the
rain descended in torrents, the total quantity
registered at the Observatory being 92 points
-the heaviest fall for ono day since December
1 last, when 102 points was measured. For
a while the stormwater sewers were taxed
to their utmost capacity in carrying away
the surface waters. Towards 4 a.m. the
electric current was affected by the overflow
finding its way into the boxes, and tho entire
city was thrown into darkness. The force
of the wind in the city was not vory great
on Saturday last, the highest velocity recorded
being 25 miles an hour from the direction
of north-east at 7.30 p.m.
In many of tho suburbs the rain appears to
have been very much heavier than in Sydnoy.
Many of the streets were flooded, and the
waterways were running bankers. The Bur
wood-road was taken up for a distance of
150 yards, and at Ashfield tho terrific volume
of water sweeping along the thoroughfares
carried with it great quantities of road metal.
Many fine gardens were practically ruined
and hundreds of llttle garden plots were
damaged. Fortunately the- storm was not of
long duration, but It was of a very violent
character whllo It lasted.
Tho Acting Government Meteorologist, Mr.
H. A. Hunt, when scon last night, said that
he had not received completo reports respect-
ing the visitation. The storm was probably
due to tho depression in tho west, intensified
by atmospheric pulsation from the cyclone
in the east.