The stormy conditions which were prevalent during the last week of June continued into July until the 10th, heavy rains and floods being experienced in the northern and East Coast districts.
The telephone lines between Motu and Opotiki were down.
The road between Ohinewai and Rangiriri was completely submerged for 1 1/2 miles (2.4 km).
The Waikato River was still rising at Mercer on the 3rd July. That night it was only about 10 in (25.4 cm) from the top of the Mercer wharf.
The township was almost surrounded by water. The sawmills were flooded.
There was 6 in (15.2 cm) of water over the railway line on the 2nd.
Water was flowing directly from the river into the railway station yard on the night of the 3rd, and was only 6 in (15.2 cm) below the platform. The main line was under water for almost the whole length of the station.
Numerous houses in the vicinity of the township had been vacated. Maoris had abandoned a flooded pa on the river bank and were camping in the scrub.
There was further heavy rain on the 28th to the 29th in the Bay of Plenty and further flooding occurred on the 30th and the 1st of July.
Whakatane and Rangitaiki Rivers were still flooded on the 29th.
There was extensive inundation of the Rangitaiki Plains. 30,000 acres (12,141 ha) were flooded on the 1st of July.
There was considerable damage to pasture, stock and fences.
Roads suffered severe damage and small bridges were washed away.
Kaituna River peaked at 1580 cusecs (44.7 cumecs) at the Rotoiti outfall.
A woman was drowned at Te Teko.
The bridge at Thornton was washed away.
On the 29th, the Waimana settlement was in a bad position, with the river threatening to eat a fresh course across the farms.
Heavy rain continued in Whakatane during the 28th and 29th. The total rainfall in Whakatane over seven days to the 30th was 7.5 in (19.05 cm).
The rivers were again rising and large areas were underwater.
All communication by road was cut off. Road and railway lines were damaged.
Many homesteads were marooned and families had to be rescued by boat.
Heavy rains were experienced throughout the district in the last few days (before the 30th). Wild wintry conditions prevailed again on the 3rd July and heavy rain was experienced in all parts of the district.
2.14 in (5.4 cm) of rain fell in Gisborne in three days from 9am on the 1st to 9am on the 4th.
Gisborne recorded 0.70 in (1.8 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 2nd.
Gisborne recorded 0.39 in (1.0 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 3rd.
Gisborne recorded 1.05 in (2.7 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 4th.
Gisborne recorded 0.8 in (2.0 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 5th.
The continuous downpour caused the rivers and creeks to rise rapidly.
All parts of the flats were heavily waterlogged on the 3rd.
At Bushmere, the Waipaoa River had been rising gradually all afternoon on the 3rd. Between 9:30pm and 10:30pm it had risen considerably over 1 ft (30.5 cm).
Heavy showers fell frequently in Gisborne on the 30th.
Gisborne recorded 0.69 in (1.8 cm) of rain on the 28th.
Gisborne registered 9.69 in (24.6 cm) of rain in the month of June. This had only been exceeded once in 31 years (in June 1917).
Rain fell in Gisborne on 25 days in June, making it the wettest month for 34 years, in terms of number of days of rain. This had been exceeded only once in 47 years (in July 1890).
On the night of the 30th, the Turanganui River was in a half-flooded condition.
The Waipaoa River rose to within 5 or 6 in (12.7-15.2 cm) of the banks at about 10am on the 30th.
The Waimata and Taruheru Rivers had swollen considerably, causing a big fresh in the Town section of the rivers. Large quantities of silt brought down wiped out the navigable channel for shipping purposes, which had been recently dredged. From about 200 ft () inside the entrance, the silting extended for practically the whole length of the channel, reducing the depth to 4 ft (1.2 m).
Near Kaiteratahi, traces of heavy silt on the river banks in places where the water had rushed along were particularly noticeable.
The roads near Kaiteratahi were badly cut up in a few cases, and resembled a quagmire.
A considerable part of Makauri was under water on the 3rd.
Heavy rain was reported to have fallen in the Mangatu and Arowhana district.
Thick, misty rain had been experienced in the Matawai area during the last few days (before the 30th).
The road from Trafford's into Chilcott's to the large construction camp of the NZ Roads Ltd was completely blocked with slips and there were also several large washouts.
Continuous rain had been experienced in the Ngatapa area during last few days (before the 30th) and also on the 3rd.
The creeks were all high and were running in high flood on the 3rd.
The Totangi creek overflowed its banks on the morning of the 30th for a few hours but receded before midday. That evening it overflowed again, covering the Totangi Valley in water. On the 3rd, the Totangi overflowed at about 11am. It was going down very quickly on the 5th.
The Ngatapa creek overflowed near the Ngatapa bridge. All the flats in that vicinity were under water on the evening of the 30th.
On the 3rd, the main Ngatapa creek, the Mangatoitoi, overflowed at about 4pm, flooding the whole of the Ngatapa township.
The floodwaters covered the road down to as far as the Rock Cutting near Mr Perry's homestead.
The mail car was unable to get through that evening and several lorries were caught by the flood waters above Ngatapa and were unable to get back to town for the night.
The water was fully 3 ft (91.4 cm) deep around the Post Office.
There were still traces of surface water in the Ngatapa district on the 5th.
Roads were seriously affected in Poverty Bay.
Heavy rain had fallen in the Ruatoria area over the last few days (before the 30th).
The rivers were all running fairly high. The rivers and creeks remained in a swollen condition on the 1st July.
The creeks and rivers on the Ruatoria-Tokomaru Bay road were considerably swollen. On the 29th the water at some crossings was up to the floor boards of the service cars. The creeks were too high for car traffic on the 30th and on the 1st.
Te Karaka recorded 11 1/2 in (29.5 cm) of rain in the month of June on 28 days - triple the average rainfall. This was the highest fall registered since the last big flood in March 1918.
In the vicinity of Waerengaahika, the river was in half flood at 5pm on the 3rd, and with continuous heavy rain it commenced to rise at the rate of 2 ft (61 cm) an hour. By 10:30pm it was 15 ft (4.6 m) above normal. At 12:30am the river was over its banks, running towards the stop bank.
A total of 16 in (40.6 cm) of rain was registered in the Waioeka for the month of June.
The Taruheru River came over at Waiohika in the afternoon of the 3rd.
The particularly heavy and continuous rains on the 3rd caused the Waipaoa River to rise early that night at the rate of nearly 2 ft an hour. This continued until nearly midnight, when the rise became slower.
The river reached its highest point, some 2-3 ft (61-92 cm) below the top of the stop bank, between 12pm and 1pm on the 4th. Towards 11am the water came through the cut at Tietjen's Bend in between two stop banks, but the banks held and the water flowed back into the river. The river went down rapidly on the 5th.
About midday on the 4th, the river was estimated to be almost 20 ft (6.1 m) higher than the normal summer level.
During the past month, the continuous rain had caused the river to be running half full, and the rise on the night of the 3rd and morning of the 4th was fully 15 ft (4.6 m).
Heavy rain was experienced in the Whatatutu district all day on the 3rd, and the Waipaoa and Mangatu Rivers rose gradually.
The Manawatu River flooded.
Some roads were covered with water 3-6 ft (0.9-1.8 m) deep.
Inundation of low-lying land occurred between Palmerston North and Shannon, causing interruption of road traffic.
The peak level of the Manawatu River was 14ft 6in (4.4 m) at the Fitzherbert Bridge gauge.
The peak discharge of the Manawatu River was 63,000 cusecs (1784 cumecs).
At the entrance to the Manawatu Gorge, on the Woodville side, the Manawatu River rose to 8 ft (2.4 m) in 2.5 hours.
The river flooded out the Public Works camp.
The Moutoa and Makerua districts were extensively flooded when the river burst its banks near the Shannon-Foxton bridge.
The Manawatu River was rising rapidly on the 2nd. The flood gauge at Palmerston North showed a rise of 4 ft (1.2 m) between 2pm and 8:30pm.
Late on the night of the 2nd, the river level was at 15 ft (4.6 m).
The main road north of Shannon was 3 ft (91 cm) under water at 8pm on the 2nd.
A good deal of country was inundated.
On the 2nd, the flooded areas of Canterbury were increased by the warm wind, causing the sudden melting of snow, which had fallen in the high country in the past few days. Conditions were improving on the 4th.
Railway traffic on the Midland and Southbridge lines was interrupted.
Vehicular traffic by road to many parts of Canterbury was impossible.
The Waimakariri River had not broken its banks at any place by the 3rd.
In some areas, the damage done was the greatest that had been suffered for several decades.
The ground in the country on which the flood water was lying was already at saturation point before the floods came.
A very heavy sea was running on the coast on the 2nd, which backed up the rivers.
The position in the Ashburton district was stated to be the worst that had been experienced in 40 years.
Winter-sown wheat crops in the Ashburton district were water swept.
At Ashburton, the main south road was declared closed.
Many houses in the city and country were invaded by flood waters and considerable damage was done.
In the city, the greatest damage was to roads, which had sunk under the sodden conditions, causing inumerable potholes. At the Bank of New Zealand corner and all down High St, the main highway was in a particularly bad condition. In some places the surface was scoured out right alongside the tram rails, with the rails projecting a few inches above the surface. It was expected to cost the Tram Board thousands to repair the roadways.
The Ahsley River, previously in half flood, rose 16 in (40.6 cm) on the morning of the 2nd.
Residents in the Coldstream area were apprehensive of a serious overflow over their farms.
The Eyre River overflowed its banks and the country around Oxford and Cust was flooded.
The overflowing of the Eyre was the cause of most of the damage north of Christchurch.
Many bridges or their approaches were swept away, isolating some sections of the farming community.
The settlers of Eyreton stated that they had not seen similar conditions for 30 years.
The approach to the Hapuka River was washed away on the 2nd.
The Stoney Creek was in flood and traffic south was blocked on the morning of the 2nd.
The Lyell Creek was rising rapidly but hadn't yet entered the town.
Little River was under water on the 2nd.
Road communication with Akaroa was cut off.
Parts of Little River had been under 4 ft (1.2 m) of water.
Methven received 228 mm (22.8 cm) of rain in the month of July. This was Methven's all-time rainfall high for July.
The settlers of Oxford stated that they had not seen similar conditions for 30 years.
The weather had been stormy at Cromwell.
Rain fell steadily all day on the 2nd, increasing in intensity as the afternoon wore on.
Low-lying country in the vicinity of Merton was flooded.
Heavy rain fell all night at Naseby, following a fall of 9 in of snow.
The creeks and rivers were in a flood.
Flood water invaded the south railway line at Otokia on the night of the 3rd. A goods train was held up the next morning and the service to Outram was interrupted.
A washout occurred near Outram on the afternoon of the 2nd. About half a mile of the line was scoured out. One train from Outram and one from Mosgiel were cut out.
The water was 9 in (22.9 cm) deep on the track.
Creeks in the Shag Valley had washed out, making the Otago Central road impassable.
The Swinburn bridge on the Dunback-Kyeburn portion of the main Palmerston-Clyde road was swept away,
On the Taieri, the river was at the 15 ft 2 in (4.6 m) mark on the 2nd.
The stormy conditions which were prevalent during the last week of June continued into July until the 10th, heavy rains and floods being experienced in the northern and East Coast districts.
The telephone lines between Motu and Opotiki were down.
The road between Ohinewai and Rangiriri was completely submerged for 1 1/2 miles (2.4 km).
The Waikato River was still rising at Mercer on the 3rd July. That night it was only about 10 in (25.4 cm) from the top of the Mercer wharf.
The township was almost surrounded by water. The sawmills were flooded.
There was 6 in (15.2 cm) of water over the railway line on the 2nd.
Water was flowing directly from the river into the railway station yard on the night of the 3rd, and was only 6 in (15.2 cm) below the platform. The main line was under water for almost the whole length of the station.
Numerous houses in the vicinity of the township had been vacated. Maoris had abandoned a flooded pa on the river bank and were camping in the scrub.
There was further heavy rain on the 28th to the 29th in the Bay of Plenty and further flooding occurred on the 30th and the 1st of July.
Whakatane and Rangitaiki Rivers were still flooded on the 29th.
There was extensive inundation of the Rangitaiki Plains. 30,000 acres (12,141 ha) were flooded on the 1st of July.
There was considerable damage to pasture, stock and fences.
Roads suffered severe damage and small bridges were washed away.
Kaituna River peaked at 1580 cusecs (44.7 cumecs) at the Rotoiti outfall.
A woman was drowned at Te Teko.
The bridge at Thornton was washed away.
On the 29th, the Waimana settlement was in a bad position, with the river threatening to eat a fresh course across the farms.
Heavy rain continued in Whakatane during the 28th and 29th. The total rainfall in Whakatane over seven days to the 30th was 7.5 in (19.05 cm).
The rivers were again rising and large areas were underwater.
All communication by road was cut off. Road and railway lines were damaged.
Many homesteads were marooned and families had to be rescued by boat.
Heavy rains were experienced throughout the district in the last few days (before the 30th). Wild wintry conditions prevailed again on the 3rd July and heavy rain was experienced in all parts of the district.
2.14 in (5.4 cm) of rain fell in Gisborne in three days from 9am on the 1st to 9am on the 4th.
Gisborne recorded 0.70 in (1.8 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 2nd.
Gisborne recorded 0.39 in (1.0 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 3rd.
Gisborne recorded 1.05 in (2.7 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 4th.
Gisborne recorded 0.8 in (2.0 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 5th.
The continuous downpour caused the rivers and creeks to rise rapidly.
All parts of the flats were heavily waterlogged on the 3rd.
At Bushmere, the Waipaoa River had been rising gradually all afternoon on the 3rd. Between 9:30pm and 10:30pm it had risen considerably over 1 ft (30.5 cm).
Heavy showers fell frequently in Gisborne on the 30th.
Gisborne recorded 0.69 in (1.8 cm) of rain on the 28th.
Gisborne registered 9.69 in (24.6 cm) of rain in the month of June. This had only been exceeded once in 31 years (in June 1917).
Rain fell in Gisborne on 25 days in June, making it the wettest month for 34 years, in terms of number of days of rain. This had been exceeded only once in 47 years (in July 1890).
On the night of the 30th, the Turanganui River was in a half-flooded condition.
The Waipaoa River rose to within 5 or 6 in (12.7-15.2 cm) of the banks at about 10am on the 30th.
The Waimata and Taruheru Rivers had swollen considerably, causing a big fresh in the Town section of the rivers. Large quantities of silt brought down wiped out the navigable channel for shipping purposes, which had been recently dredged. From about 200 ft () inside the entrance, the silting extended for practically the whole length of the channel, reducing the depth to 4 ft (1.2 m).
Near Kaiteratahi, traces of heavy silt on the river banks in places where the water had rushed along were particularly noticeable.
The roads near Kaiteratahi were badly cut up in a few cases, and resembled a quagmire.
A considerable part of Makauri was under water on the 3rd.
Heavy rain was reported to have fallen in the Mangatu and Arowhana district.
Thick, misty rain had been experienced in the Matawai area during the last few days (before the 30th).
The road from Trafford's into Chilcott's to the large construction camp of the NZ Roads Ltd was completely blocked with slips and there were also several large washouts.
Continuous rain had been experienced in the Ngatapa area during last few days (before the 30th) and also on the 3rd.
The creeks were all high and were running in high flood on the 3rd.
The Totangi creek overflowed its banks on the morning of the 30th for a few hours but receded before midday. That evening it overflowed again, covering the Totangi Valley in water. On the 3rd, the Totangi overflowed at about 11am. It was going down very quickly on the 5th.
The Ngatapa creek overflowed near the Ngatapa bridge. All the flats in that vicinity were under water on the evening of the 30th.
On the 3rd, the main Ngatapa creek, the Mangatoitoi, overflowed at about 4pm, flooding the whole of the Ngatapa township.
The floodwaters covered the road down to as far as the Rock Cutting near Mr Perry's homestead.
The mail car was unable to get through that evening and several lorries were caught by the flood waters above Ngatapa and were unable to get back to town for the night.
The water was fully 3 ft (91.4 cm) deep around the Post Office.
There were still traces of surface water in the Ngatapa district on the 5th.
Roads were seriously affected in Poverty Bay.
Heavy rain had fallen in the Ruatoria area over the last few days (before the 30th).
The rivers were all running fairly high. The rivers and creeks remained in a swollen condition on the 1st July.
The creeks and rivers on the Ruatoria-Tokomaru Bay road were considerably swollen. On the 29th the water at some crossings was up to the floor boards of the service cars. The creeks were too high for car traffic on the 30th and on the 1st.
Te Karaka recorded 11 1/2 in (29.5 cm) of rain in the month of June on 28 days - triple the average rainfall. This was the highest fall registered since the last big flood in March 1918.
In the vicinity of Waerengaahika, the river was in half flood at 5pm on the 3rd, and with continuous heavy rain it commenced to rise at the rate of 2 ft (61 cm) an hour. By 10:30pm it was 15 ft (4.6 m) above normal. At 12:30am the river was over its banks, running towards the stop bank.
A total of 16 in (40.6 cm) of rain was registered in the Waioeka for the month of June.
The Taruheru River came over at Waiohika in the afternoon of the 3rd.
The particularly heavy and continuous rains on the 3rd caused the Waipaoa River to rise early that night at the rate of nearly 2 ft an hour. This continued until nearly midnight, when the rise became slower.
The river reached its highest point, some 2-3 ft (61-92 cm) below the top of the stop bank, between 12pm and 1pm on the 4th. Towards 11am the water came through the cut at Tietjen's Bend in between two stop banks, but the banks held and the water flowed back into the river. The river went down rapidly on the 5th.
About midday on the 4th, the river was estimated to be almost 20 ft (6.1 m) higher than the normal summer level.
During the past month, the continuous rain had caused the river to be running half full, and the rise on the night of the 3rd and morning of the 4th was fully 15 ft (4.6 m).
Heavy rain was experienced in the Whatatutu district all day on the 3rd, and the Waipaoa and Mangatu Rivers rose gradually.
The Manawatu River flooded.
Some roads were covered with water 3-6 ft (0.9-1.8 m) deep.
Inundation of low-lying land occurred between Palmerston North and Shannon, causing interruption of road traffic.
The peak level of the Manawatu River was 14ft 6in (4.4 m) at the Fitzherbert Bridge gauge.
The peak discharge of the Manawatu River was 63,000 cusecs (1784 cumecs).
At the entrance to the Manawatu Gorge, on the Woodville side, the Manawatu River rose to 8 ft (2.4 m) in 2.5 hours.
The river flooded out the Public Works camp.
The Moutoa and Makerua districts were extensively flooded when the river burst its banks near the Shannon-Foxton bridge.
The Manawatu River was rising rapidly on the 2nd. The flood gauge at Palmerston North showed a rise of 4 ft (1.2 m) between 2pm and 8:30pm.
Late on the night of the 2nd, the river level was at 15 ft (4.6 m).
The main road north of Shannon was 3 ft (91 cm) under water at 8pm on the 2nd.
A good deal of country was inundated.
On the 2nd, the flooded areas of Canterbury were increased by the warm wind, causing the sudden melting of snow, which had fallen in the high country in the past few days. Conditions were improving on the 4th.
Railway traffic on the Midland and Southbridge lines was interrupted.
Vehicular traffic by road to many parts of Canterbury was impossible.
The Waimakariri River had not broken its banks at any place by the 3rd.
In some areas, the damage done was the greatest that had been suffered for several decades.
The ground in the country on which the flood water was lying was already at saturation point before the floods came.
A very heavy sea was running on the coast on the 2nd, which backed up the rivers.
The position in the Ashburton district was stated to be the worst that had been experienced in 40 years.
Winter-sown wheat crops in the Ashburton district were water swept.
At Ashburton, the main south road was declared closed.
Many houses in the city and country were invaded by flood waters and considerable damage was done.
In the city, the greatest damage was to roads, which had sunk under the sodden conditions, causing inumerable potholes. At the Bank of New Zealand corner and all down High St, the main highway was in a particularly bad condition. In some places the surface was scoured out right alongside the tram rails, with the rails projecting a few inches above the surface. It was expected to cost the Tram Board thousands to repair the roadways.
The Ahsley River, previously in half flood, rose 16 in (40.6 cm) on the morning of the 2nd.
Residents in the Coldstream area were apprehensive of a serious overflow over their farms.
The Eyre River overflowed its banks and the country around Oxford and Cust was flooded.
The overflowing of the Eyre was the cause of most of the damage north of Christchurch.
Many bridges or their approaches were swept away, isolating some sections of the farming community.
The settlers of Eyreton stated that they had not seen similar conditions for 30 years.
The approach to the Hapuka River was washed away on the 2nd.
The Stoney Creek was in flood and traffic south was blocked on the morning of the 2nd.
The Lyell Creek was rising rapidly but hadn't yet entered the town.
Little River was under water on the 2nd.
Road communication with Akaroa was cut off.
Parts of Little River had been under 4 ft (1.2 m) of water.
Methven received 228 mm (22.8 cm) of rain in the month of July. This was Methven's all-time rainfall high for July.
The settlers of Oxford stated that they had not seen similar conditions for 30 years.
The weather had been stormy at Cromwell.
Rain fell steadily all day on the 2nd, increasing in intensity as the afternoon wore on.
Low-lying country in the vicinity of Merton was flooded.
Heavy rain fell all night at Naseby, following a fall of 9 in of snow.
The creeks and rivers were in a flood.
Flood water invaded the south railway line at Otokia on the night of the 3rd. A goods train was held up the next morning and the service to Outram was interrupted.
A washout occurred near Outram on the afternoon of the 2nd. About half a mile of the line was scoured out. One train from Outram and one from Mosgiel were cut out.
The water was 9 in (22.9 cm) deep on the track.
Creeks in the Shag Valley had washed out, making the Otago Central road impassable.
The Swinburn bridge on the Dunback-Kyeburn portion of the main Palmerston-Clyde road was swept away,
On the Taieri, the river was at the 15 ft 2 in (4.6 m) mark on the 2nd.