Suva's Shower!

From Our Own Correspondent SUVA, April 9.

A SUDDEN shower, typical of Suva’s April showers, deposited 3.57 in. of rain in an hour yesterday.

The following week-end ran true to form (Suva is, of course, now in the Dry Season) and in a few hours on Saturday night, a fall totalling 5.55 in. at Suva and 7.03 in. at Laucala Bay roared down mercilessly.

Nausori fared even worse, with a week end total of 8.65 in.

To the intense disappointment of the Nadi Airport backers, however, Nausori’s airfield remained valiantly serviceable until Sunday, when it gave up the struggle with a gurgle. Because both Viti Levu’s main highways were blocked

again, the Sunderland flying-boat had to make an emergency flight from Laucala Bay to Lautoka to retrieve mislaid pas sengers from Nadi.

By Sunday the Rewa River at Nau sori was 8 ft. 6 in. above normal at the bridge, the King’s Road through Tailevu was blocked by bad slips, and, at Wailo tua, was under seven feet of water for a mile.

The Rewa sugarcane-fields escaped, but ricefields disappeared under deep water and the Rewa River was bringing down huge quantities of debris, includ ing many banana plants from up-river plantations. At some points, and mainly at Toga Island in the Rewa, heavy losses of livestock and poultry are reported.

The little Visari River, across the har bour from Suva, burst its banks in the early hours of Sunday morning, swept rice, tapioca and dalo crops, and carried off innumerable drowned poultry.

Along the south coast, the Somosomo bridge was swept away and, near Suva, the bridge at Deuba was under deep water By to-day (Monday) the storm had cleared up, but it will be several days at least before the highways are cleared.

March was also showery, with a total rainfall of 18.63 in.—3.90 in. above the normal. On one of the 24 wet days, 3.50 in. was recorded.