Woah Sydney, that was a bit of a hailstorm wasn’t it? A bit of bad weather, ey, ey? Just perfect stuff for what was your commute home.
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Office Christmas parties across the NSW capital ducked for cover this arvo when the hailstorm started to lash down in the CBD around 5.30pm. It was reported in Bankstown and the Inner West as early as 4.30pm, and got up to 8cm large in Mount Colah in Sydney’s north.
The Bureau of Meteorology put out a warning on Twitter around 6.15pm, after putting out a severe thunderstorm warning at 5.56pm for everyone from Moree to Wollongong, warning of “heavy rainfall, locally destructive winds, and large, possibly giant hailstones“.
GIANT HAILSTONES.
⚠️ #Hail with #thunderstorms over #Sydney. Keep up to date with the latest #warnings at https://t.co/RW5HHlCl5q. Stay safe and follow the directions of emergency services pic.twitter.com/mzt3xexaal
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) December 20, 2018
What’s hail anyway? WELL: it’s a form of solid precipitation – like balls of ice, rather than water – that can happen during thunderstorms made up of cumulonimbus clouds, these dense, vertical clouds where the water vapour is carried upward by air currents. But ofc eventually the hail loses to gravity. And it is extremely normal for them to be between five millimetres and 15 centimetres in size. Those big boys today? Coulda been bigger.
These ones today? Well there’s some big boys. Some like golf balls. Others nearly the size of oranges. BoM wasn’t lying about them giant hailstones.
.@2GB873 pic.twitter.com/GqJAqK9ovJ
— Emily Fagan (@EmilyC_OBrien) December 20, 2018
https://twitter.com/McElstuff/status/1075651014571618304
And now the hail is larger than golf balls. Smashed the skylight in the bathroom 😕 #sydneystorm pic.twitter.com/vb83CFKkje
— Rachel Clun (@rachelclun) December 20, 2018
https://twitter.com/ting_jz/status/1075649572448288769
Hail as big as a poached egg! #sydneyweather pic.twitter.com/I6XPFskcT3
— Grant Van (@Grant__Van) December 20, 2018
https://twitter.com/ArabellaZucche1/status/1075631657661546496
How’s this for hail!! Huge hailstorm here at Mt Kuring-Gai north of Sydney. Now the sun is out, still 30c. pic.twitter.com/nz9MeiBOcC
— Martin Walsh 🇺🇦 (@martinwalsh) December 20, 2018
Size of hail hitting Zetland in Sydney a few moments ago #SydneyStorm pic.twitter.com/R7F9bJ3eU2
— Ricardo Gonçalves (@BUSINESSricardo) December 20, 2018
Hail was rocketing down just now #SydneyStorm pic.twitter.com/pFaNQS3c4i
— Joe O’Brien (@JoeDoesNews) December 20, 2018
Have some videos and big picture shots – it’s like real shitty snow except louder on tin roofs/deeply unsafe to hurl at people. This is the suckiest White Christmas ever!
These hailstones at #Wamberal near #Gosford are bigger than golf balls #SydneyStorm. @2GB873 pic.twitter.com/M8FLJs1xtp
— Emily Fagan (@EmilyC_OBrien) December 20, 2018
https://twitter.com/myleandro/status/1075650862616240128
https://twitter.com/roqchams/status/1075655712796102656
https://twitter.com/strom_m/status/1075651622015889409
Aussie reaction to hail storm: Language warning #Straya #SydneyStorm pic.twitter.com/6EZc1ovnsC
— Joe O’Brien (@JoeDoesNews) December 20, 2018
https://twitter.com/DeborahSnow/status/1075636363737755648
This is our favourite though – Google journo Nic Hopkins took a shot of surfers taking cover from the dumping of hail underneath their surfboards. Never underestimate Aussie ingenuity.
Surfers hiding under their boards to avoid the massive hailstones. #straya pic.twitter.com/qGsDIgbT4M
— Nic Hopkins (@nichopkins) December 20, 2018
The ABC reported that Sydney Airport is experiencing one hour delays, with 21 flights cancelled and seven diverted interstate.
Have a good sleep tonight Sydney, ’cause it’s still stormin’.
