list of costly or deadly hailstorms
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{More citations needed|date=February 2012}}
This is a list of the costliest or deadliest hailstorms on record.
Notable events
= North America =
= Europe =
= Asia =
= South America =
No entries yet.
= Africa =
class="wikitable"
! Date ! Location ! Incident |
1 November 1985
| Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa | Major hailstorm striking central Pretoria and surrounding areas. Damage estimated at R400m.{{cite web|url=http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/submitted/etd-04042002-141358/unrestricted/dissertation.pdf |title=A Framework for Modelling Losses arising from Natural Catastrophes in South Africa |publisher=University of Pretoria |access-date=27 May 2013}} |
= Australia =
class="wikitable"
! Date ! Location ! Incident |
1 January 1947
| Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | 1947 Sydney hailstorm: Early in the afternoon, a storm cell that later formed into a supercell thunderstorm swept in from the south west dropping hailstones larger than 8 cm in diameter over eastern-south west Sydney, inner west, CBD and the eastern suburbs. hundreds of people were caught on Sydney's beaches as the Hailstorm reached the coast line with many knocked unconscious. This event adjusted for inflation caused A$45 million in damages.{{Cite book |last=Newman |first=Bernard William |url=https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Phenomenal_Hailstorm_with_Thunderstorm,_Sydney_1st_January_1947 |title=Phenomenal Hailstorm with Thunderstorm, Sydney 1st January 1947}} |
18 January 1985
| Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | Late in the afternoon, a supercell thunderstorm swept in from the west dropping hailstones as large as {{convert|6|cm|in|abbr=on}} over parts of the city. A wind gust of over {{convert|180|km/h|mi/h|abbr=on}} was recorded at Brisbane airport and {{convert|57|mm|in|abbr=on}} of rain recorded in 15 minutes at the same location. The 30 minutes of destruction caused A$300 million (A$1.7 billion in 2007 adjusted dollars) damage to vehicles and buildings. This rates as the 5th most costly insured event in Australia since 1968.{{cite web |url=http://www.insurancecouncil.com.au/ForConsumers/CatastropheEventsandtheCommunity/tabid/1737/Default.aspx |title=Catastrophe Events and the Community |publisher=Insurancecouncil.com.au |access-date=8 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090907024124/http://www.insurancecouncil.com.au/ForConsumers/CatastropheEventsandtheCommunity/tabid/1737/Default.aspx |archive-date=7 September 2009 }}{{cite web|author=National Climate Centre |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/lam/climate/levelthree/c20thc/storm2.htm |title=Australian Climate Extremes-Storm |publisher=BOM |access-date=8 April 2010|archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20090317054300/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/96122/20090317-1643/www.bom.gov.au/lam/climate/levelthree/c20thc/storm2.html|archive-date=17 March 2009}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}{{cite web |url=http://www.northgateward.org/home_Page520.html |title=Northgate Ward |publisher=Northgate Ward |date=18 January 1985 |access-date=8 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110224040653/http://www.northgateward.org/home_Page520.html |archive-date=24 February 2011 |url-status=dead }} |
18 March 1990
| Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | Damaging hailstorm across large swaths of metropolitan Sydney.[http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/sevwx/18mar90.shtml The Sydney Hailstorm - 18 March 1990] |
14 April 1999
| Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | 1999 Sydney hailstorm: 20,000 properties and 40,000 vehicles were damaged during the storm with more than 25 aircraft damaged at Sydney Airport. One person was killed while fishing after getting struck by lightning and several other people were injured. At A$1.5 billion (A$3.3 billion in 2007 adjusted dollars), it was the costliest hailstorm to hit an Australian populated city.{{cite web |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/sevwx/14april1999.shtml |title=The Sydney Hailstorm - 14 April 1999 |publisher=Bom.gov.au |date=14 April 1999 |access-date=24 November 2013 |archive-date=29 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629194735/http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/sevwx/14april1999.shtml |url-status=dead }} The largest stone measured was {{convert|9.5|cm|in|abbr=on}}.{{cite web|url=http://australiansevereweather.com.au/storm_news/990416.htm |title=Sydney Hailstorm 14th April 1999 |publisher=Australian Severe Weather |access-date=24 November 2013}} |
9 December 2007
| Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | Supercell thunderstorms caused immense damage in the North and Western Suburbs of Sydney. Worst hit were the suburbs of Blacktown, Castle Hill, and neighbouring Baulkham Hills. Hail stones the size of golf balls damaged cars, windows, and homes.{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/it-was-raining-great-balls-of-ice/2007/12/09/1197135289382.html |title=It was raining great balls of ice - Sydney Morning Herald |publisher=Smh.com.au |date=10 December 2007 |access-date=24 November 2013}} |
6–7 March 2010
| Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | 2010 Victorian storms: Heavy rain and large hail across much of Victoria lead to flash flooding in central Melbourne, roofs collapsing at Southern Cross station and Docklands Stadium, and power cuts to over 120,000 households around Victoria. 40,000 insurance claims for over $500 million were lodged. |
22 March 2010
| Perth, Western Australia, Australia | The hailstorm that struck after a long dry spell lasted only a few minutes but caused damage to many houses, a number of hospitals and schools, and an airport terminal. The storm damaged thousands of cars, cut power lines and left 150,000 houses and many traffic lights without power. The storm also caused a landslip at King's Park.[https://archive.today/20121230223615/http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/torrential-rain-and-hailstones-bring-chaos/story-e6frg6nf-1225844049003 Torrential Rain and Hailstones Bring Chaos] |
27 November 2014
| Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | The 2014 Brisbane hailstorm caused severe damage to many buildings and cars in the city. It struck central parts of the city during the afternoon peak period. Around 40 people were injured. Three months after the event it was estimated that the storm caused $1.1 billion worth of damage.{{Cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-14/brisbane-super-storm-damage-bill-tops-1-billion/6092338 |title=Brisbane super storm damage bill tops $1 billion |author=Maria Hatzakis |access-date=18 February 2015 |date=14 February 2015 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation }} |
20 November 2019
|Timaru, New Zealand |The 2019 Timaru hailstorm was one of New Zealand's costliest weather events in decades. Most damaged was caused to cars. |
20 January 2020
| Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia | The 2020 Canberra hailstorm caused severe damage to cars, buildings, trees and local wildlife. It struck just after midday and passed in a South Westerly direction across the city. Areas of most impact were the inner city suburbs. Many cars were written off by the damage. It also affected the local wildlife taking shelter in the trees with leaves and branches broken by the ferocity of the hail.{{Cite news | url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/19/australia/australia-hail-dust-storm-intl-hnk-scli/index.html |title=Canberra: hail and dust storms batter southeastern Australia as bushfires continue |author=Jessie Yueng| date=20 January 2020|work=CNN |publisher=CNN }} |
30 October – 1 November 2020
| Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | The 2020 Brisbane Hailstorms caused major havoc in the southern and western suburbs of the city, with some isolated areas to the north. Damage in excess of AU$50M was recorded on 1 November alone, possibly the day with the most severe weather. Heavily affected suburbs included Coomera, Victoria Point, Ipswich, Amberley, Brisbane's CBD, Redcliffe, and Springfield, which recorded 14 cm hailstones. The event signified the beginning of a forecast La Niña weather phenomenon, in the wake of its destruction. |
Largest by country
- {{Flagicon|United Kingdom}} 15 March 1808 – Somerset, England, United Kingdom ~{{convert|70|mm|abbr=on}} "hailstones, touching perhaps 100 mm in places, causing great damage. Indeed, some in Somerset were reported to be over a foot long (at 333 mm)"{{dubious|reason=333 mm (could "long" there mean circumference, or how long the damage was?) is 66% larger than "Largest diameter officially measured: diameter, circumference; Vivian, South Dakota, 23 July 2010. Largest circumference officially measured: circumference, diameter; Aurora, Nebraska, 22 June 2003"|date=April 2024}} and up to 220 g.{{Cite web|title=British weather in July |url=https://www.trevorharley.com/weather-july.html|access-date=28 June 2020}}
- {{flagicon|Japan}} 29 June 1917 − According to Japan Meteological Agency and Saitama prefectural government has official confirmed report, a {{convert|3400|g|abbr=on}} and {{convert|29.4|cm|abbr=on}}, like a pumpkin size hail and others many large size hail show in Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, where 10−60 centimeters hole hit occurs in rice field on five place, and one person death.(Source:Saitama Prefecture, Japan Meteological Agency){{cn|date=March 2025}}
- {{flagicon|Canada}} 27 August 1973 – Cedoux, Saskatchewan, Canada, nicknamed Gawel stone at a diameter of heaviest at and {{convert|290|g|abbr=on}}{{cite web|title=Hail - The Canadian Encyclopedia|url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/hail/|publisher=The Canadian Encyclopedia|access-date=27 August 2016}}{{cite web|last1=Burt|first1=Christopher C.|title=World's Largest Hailstones|url=https://www.wunderground.com/blog/weatherhistorian/worlds-largest-hailstones|website=Weather Underground|publisher=The Weather Company, LLC|access-date=27 August 2016}}
- {{Flagicon|Italy}} 19 July 2023 – Carmignano di Brenta, Veneto, Northern Italy ~{{convert|16|cm|abbr=on}}{{Citation|title=Grandine da record in Veneto google.com/amp/s/www.ilgazzettino.it/AMP/nordest/maltempo_nordest_grandine_da_primato_indennizzi-7896127.html}}{{dead link|date=April 2024}}
- {{flagicon|Alberta}} 31 July 1987 – during Edmonton Tornado official larger than {{convert|7.8|cm|abbr=on}}, reported{{cite web|last1=Charlton|first1=Robert|last2=Kachman|first2=Bradley|last3=Wojtiw|first3=Lubomir|title=Atlas of the Edmonton Tornado and Hailstorm, 1987 – A Commemorative Reflection on the Edmonton Tornado and Hailstorm, 1987|url=https://sites.google.com/a/ualberta.ca/tornado/home/t87|website=University of Alberta|publisher=Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences University of Alberta|access-date=27 August 2016}}
- {{flagicon|Bangladesh}} 14 April 1986 – Gopalganj District, Bangladesh ({{convert|1.02|kg|lb|2|abbr=on}})
- {{flagicon|Australia}} 19 October 2021 – Yalboroo, Queensland, Australia (16 cm){{cite news| url = https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-19/record-hailstones-falling-on-tropical-queensland/100551710| title = BOM says 'Australian record'-sized hailstones have fallen on North Queensland - ABC News| newspaper = ABC News| date = 19 October 2021}}
- {{flagicon|United States}} 23 July 2010 – Vivian, South Dakota, United States (~{{convert|8|in|abbr=on}} diameter & ~{{convert|18.62|in|abbr=on}} circumference)
- {{Flagicon|Germany}} 28 July 2013 – Reutlingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany (14.1 cm diameter & 360–380 g weight){{Cite web|url=http://www.wetteronline.de/wetter-videos/2014-06-18-mk|title=Größte Hagelkörner Deutschlands|date=18 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140623011402/http://www.wetteronline.de/wetter-videos/2014-06-18-mk|archive-date=23 June 2014|url-status=dead|access-date=3 June 2017}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
Further reading
- {{cite book |last = Flora |first = Snowden D. |author-link = Snowden D. Flora |title = Hailstorms of the United States |publisher = University of Oklahoma Press |date = 1956 |location = Norman, OK }}
External links
- [http://www.torro.org.uk/site/50hail.php 50 most intense hailstorms in Britain] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111222065649/http://www.torro.org.uk/site/50hail.php |date=22 December 2011 }} (TORRO)
- [http://www.torro.org.uk/site/hscale.php TORRO hail scales] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140405012552/http://www.torro.org.uk/site/hscale.php |date=5 April 2014 }}
- [https://stormmaps.com/pages/hail-impact-reports USA hail Reports]
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