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Australian record set as giant 16cm hailstones hammer North Queensland

Alex DruceNCA NewsWire
Not Supplied
Camera IconNot Supplied Credit: Supplied

Queensland: Tornadoes one day, 16cm hailstones the next.

A new Australian hail record is believed to have been set after giant ice stones pelted Yalboroo, north of Mackay, on Tuesday afternoon, smashing windshields and drawing the attention of international weather watchers.

The Bureau of Meteorology said it had seen credible footage of hail measuring 16cm in diameter, which would top the previous record of 14cm set in Brisbane’s southwestern suburbs about the same time last year.

“It’s very impressive – obviously not for the residents underneath it – but some very impressive hail,” senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said.

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“We saw some photos of hail next to a tape measure, the team will be looking at that to see if we can verify it.”

Social media was flooded with images of hailstones, some clearly bigger than an adult’s hand.

“That’s not hail. That’s more like a glacier,” Karen Gillick wrote on the Higgins Storm Chaser Facebook page.

Giant hail pelted communities north of Mackay.
Camera IconGiant hail pelted the Yalboroo community north of Mackay. Credit: Supplied, .
Giant hail pelted communities north of Mackay.
Camera IconSome hail measured 16cm across and is believed to have set a new Australian record. Credit: Supplied, .

“Hail this size should be called “Widowmaker” hail,” said Patrick Schubert.

“Holt sh*tballs. Looks more like an iceberg. It’s true. Everything in Australia is trying to kill us,” said Kerrie Murphy

“An insurance company‘s nightmare,” added Bret Dalziel.

Footage posted by Christopher Harvey showed severe damage to his car, with the windscreen smashed in.

Giant hail pelted communities north of Mackay.
Camera IconChristopher Harvey was caught in the hail north of Mackay. Credit: Supplied

“That is some big ice. Jesus. I’m going to have some dints after this,” Mr Harvey said.

Storms are expected to linger over the southeast and central Queensland coasts on Wednesday, with large to giant hail a possibility,

Elsewhere, showers are tipped for the Illawarra and a storm could hit Sydney.

A large weather front and low pressure system over Western Australia had winds of up to 108km an hour battering Rottnest Island and bringing heavy rain. The BoM said this was likely to move into South Australia, pushing hot and damaging winds across the state’s north and western regions.

Severe to extreme heatwave conditions are expected to continue across the top end after several Northern Territory towns set October temperature records.

Tennant Creek soared to 42.4 degrees on Tuesday.

Originally published as Australian record set as giant 16cm hailstones hammer North Queensland

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