Watch These Batshit Videos From Canberra’s Huge Hail Storm
"Please stop sending your thoughts and prayers, the weather has become too powerful."
After a month spent sucking in toxic bushfire smoke, Canberrans had the satisfaction of tossing aside their P2 masks yesterday as the skies cleared.
But their relief was short-lived, after those skies opened up and sent down a massive hail storm that is now on its way to Sydney.
left: Parliament House, Canberra, January 5
right: :Parliament House, Canberra, January 20
(pics: AAP) pic.twitter.com/i7LWfrkHOv
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) January 20, 2020
#Canberra please stop sending your thoughts and prayers, the weather has become too powerful. pic.twitter.com/dNX3mSsRE6
— Cogitatio (@GeneralThought9) January 20, 2020
Large hail piled up on the Parliament House cafeteria balcony in #Canberra. Hard to think of a weirder backdrop to fire recovery meetings. pic.twitter.com/ZvWUpAKBiM
— Anna Foley (@Anna_Foley_) January 20, 2020
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for large hailstones, heavy rain and damaging winds across much of south-east New South Wales today, because apparently we just can’t catch a break.
This morning there were still around 70 bushfires burning across the state.
TFW your balcony starts to flood because the hail is so thick it blocks the drain. #Canberra pic.twitter.com/ithoaNhX5F
— Tara Cheyne MLA (@In_The_Taratory) January 20, 2020
Hail destroying the trees at Parliament House.. poor gardeners pic.twitter.com/bHEES1yhHy
— Tamsin Rose (@tamsinroses) January 20, 2020
The huge hailstones were big enough to smash windows, damage cars and reportedly kill birds, but on the bright side they were also big enough to juggle with.
This hail was huge. Video credit @nickbonyhady pic.twitter.com/jmETaNOXMS
— Fleta Page (@FletaTheTweeter) January 20, 2020
When it hails in Canberra! ⛄️⛄️ Only one thing to do ? Crazy scenes! #hailstorm #canberra pic.twitter.com/wNngVCorQy
— Jemma Barsby (@JemmaBarsby) January 20, 2020
Since bushfires and hail storms co-existing isn’t bizarre enough, further north NSW also had a dust storm so thick it blocked out the sun.
The storm stretched across Broken Hill, Parkes and Dubbo, with winds of up to 107 kilometres an hour whipping across the drought-affected region.
Nyngan‘s Grace Behsman took this video of a huge dust storm rolling in as they approached town. Watch til end – scary moment when the storm overtakes and everything goes black. The dust storm has swept the west & is encroaching Dubbo. Remember: not everyone’s celebrating rain ? pic.twitter.com/5VMLrFbrrT
— Lucy Thackray (@LucyThack) January 19, 2020
With so many extreme and unusual weather events, it’s almost as if some kind of unprecedented climate emergency is causing havoc across the state, and the country.
If only we could brainstorm some way to try and mitigate that before these freak weather events get any worse.
On the other hand, how good’s the cricket.
Parliament House at 12.59pm, captured by our Auspic photographer David Foote. pic.twitter.com/TmUQtXLtM4
— Australian Parliament House (@Aust_Parliament) January 20, 2020