Parts of Beijing hit by egg-sized hail

Locals baked in 30 C heat by day but had to duck hailstones the size of eggs after dark on Tuesday in Beijing! Parts of Beijing were pelted with hail stones, with some ranging from 1 to 4 centimeters on Tuesday evening, leaving residents surprised, "This isn't normal!" some car owners found the windshields of their cars were battered by the hailstones.

At 8 pm on Tuesday, the Beijing Meteorological Observatory issued an update on its official Weibo account that thunderstorms with short-term gales of up to level 8 intensity and hail would occur overnight. 

Yellow thunderstorm warnings, blue wind warnings, and yellow hail warnings were issued by the observatory, and localized severe gusts and hail will batter some regions during the night, the observatory noted.

At 8:33 pm, it further reported that hail mixed with thunderstorms had hit the Haidian district, and warned large-sized hailstones, likely to cause damage.

Photos shared online showed unusually large hailstones, with some measuring about 4 centimeters in diameter around 8 pm. Some netizens in Haidian district even compared the hailstones to eggs in size.

A resident of Shijingshan district told the Global Times on Tuesday evening that the hailstones were "extremely destructive with loud bangs," adding that his car's windshield had been shattered. 

Videos circulating online also showed some drivers in Beijing temporarily parking under bridges during the storm's peak to avoid vehicle damage.

A Beijing resident surnamed Liu also told the Global Times he had "never seen such massive hail in decades living here," calling it "exceptionally rare."

Some netizens noted the stark contrast between Beijing's daytime high of 32.3 C and the sudden nighttime hailstorm, describing it as "bizarre weather."

He Na, the Beijing Meteorological Observatory's chief forecaster, said the high temperatures had contributed to energy accumulation in the atmosphere. "With favorable triggering conditions, this energy easily fuels intense convective weather," He said, the Beijing Daily reported.

He also added that Tuesday's combination of abundant energy and moisture created ideal conditions. Convective activity began earlier in western and northern areas in Beijing, initiating such severe weather, according to He.