By BELINDA FEEK belinda.feek@wanganuichronicle.co.nz
WAVES lapped a shop entranceway while trees blocked various parts of the district during yesterday's stormy weather.
Up north Aucklanders in the central business district were stranded in lifts and left powerless, while in the South Island Canterbury and Otago areas were enveloped in the snow's white blanket.
However,
in Wanganui fire-fighters were underworked, having no callouts as at 5pm.
Waverley chief fire officer Alan Hickford said the town was in disarray yesterday morning after they attended various callouts picking up trees, loose iron and trying to unblock drains.
The weather seemed to peak about 11am when a "huge deluge" of rain and big winds ripped part of the Clarendon Hotel's sign off.
Waverley Four Square manager David Morris said as Weraroa Rd's main drain was outside his shop ? and blocked with leaves ? water was getting uncomfortably close to his shop's interior.
Whenever cars drove through the town it caused waves which lapped against the side of the building.
"It wasn't going to get in any further but she was pretty fierce and windy for a while there."
One Waverley resident was woken by what he thought was a tornado about 10.30am, looking out the window to torrential rain and high winds.
His neighbour's fence was hanging on its hinges while a fallen tree was sprawled out across the road.
Waverley Traders manager Polly Davis said it was "persisting down" about 1pm, with the rain near "horizontal". Her shop had survived the storm well and only suffered a few minor leaks.
Trees were also to blame for SH4 between Wanganui and Raetihi being partially blocked early yesterday morning. The southbound lane of SH3, 4kms south of Turakina, was blocked about 9.30am yesterday, but was quickly cleared by local farmer George Marshall and Marton police.
In Ohakune, a car left parked in Marton Pl overnight on Sunday suffered extensive damage after a tree fell on it. Raetihi volunteer firefighter John Compton said he only had one callout about 5.45am to a power line which had fallen across Ameku Rd.
In Waiouru, the Caltex Service Station had part of its roof ripped off but was affixed soon after.
A minor car accident, just after lunch, saw a car collide with the back of the truck on SH1. There were no injuries.
