Rushden’s worst storm since September, 1935, exceeded the international crisis in its disturbing effect last Friday night. It made a remarkable amount of noise and sent down nearly an inch of rain, but apart from interrupting the electricity supply, hitting a wireless aerial and breaking the road surface at two or three points, it caused no damage worthy of notice.

Two or three sharp downpours had accompanied an evening of atmospheric restlessness, with distant grumbles of thunder and occasional flickers of lightning. After these side shows the stormy elements gathered in great force, and from 2 a.m. until past 3.30 the heavens were flashing and crashing with spectacular fury.

Two distinct storms, one much nearer than the other, were traceable and at three o’clock the nearer storm was almost directly overhead. For the next half-hour sleep was almost impossible, and all over the town lights were appearing in bedroom windows.

Rain had held off during the final stage of the storm, but it came at last in tremendous quantities, flooding hollows and penetrating many a faulty roof.

Over a half-hour period, street lights were flickering, and over a part of the town the current finally failed. A few minutes later it was restored and by that time the storm was subsiding.

The house where the damage occurred was a detached one of the St. Crispin Estate, owned and occupied by Mr. L. Waring. Lightning demolished the wireless aerial and struck electric light fittings, which were flung down from the ceiling to the table below.

Flooding damaged the roads at two or three points, the principal damage occurring in Wellingborough-road at the foot of St. Mary’s-avenue.

Men from the Council Surveyor’s department were standing by during the early hours of the morning, ready to deal with any mishap to the sewer.

The rainfall at Rushden from 9 a.m. Friday to the same hour on Saturday measured .93 of an inch – the heaviest deluge for a long time.

Those who had lost an hour or so of sleep were able on Saturday morning to check the time at which the storm reached its climax. They observed that the electric clock had stopped at 3.26 – the moment at which the current failed.