Hail Storm In Tahiti

PAPEETE was hit by a very rare phenomenon, a hail-storm, on the evening of May 9, when a heavy squall struck the town.

Many small children, who had never seen hail—or heard it on the roofs—rushed outside to pick up the hail-stones. Our correspondent re calls that his mother told him of a heavy hailstorm being experi enced over the whole of Tahiti about 80 years ago. The last re membered in Papeete was some 15 years ago.

Hail-storms are invariably as sociated with the big towering cumulo-nimbus clouds common in the tropics—but usually the hail

stones melt before they reach sea level, and only heavy rain is experienced.