On the evening of September 25th around 8:20 pm, a sudden hailstorm hit various areas in Dingxi, Gansu Province, causing damage to numerous vehicles, houses, and agricultural crops.
Online videos showed hailstones the size of peanuts falling densely like rain, accumulating a thick layer on the ground within a short period of time, resembling snowfall in winter.
According to a netizen who tracks natural disasters and shared a video, as night fell, the cool early autumn air was replaced by an unusual atmosphere. Suddenly, “peanut-sized hailstones accompanied by intense rain poured down.” The hail and rain quickly gathered on the ground, turning the roads into ice rivers, forcing vehicles to move slowly, trapping pedestrians, and causing damage to some vehicle windows and bodies.
A self-media person named “Drawing Elf” posted on NetEase, stating that the hail had caused severe damage to local buildings. Many roofs were pierced, windows shattered, and agricultural crops suffered severe losses, leading to significant economic hardships for farmers.
The article mentioned that this hailstorm had varying impacts on different industries in Gansu, including agriculture, commerce, and tourism, with the economic losses yet to be fully assessed.
This unexpected hailstorm sparked discussions online. Many netizens expressed astonishment, with comments like, “One moment the sky had stars, the next moment there was hail, and within minutes the ground turned into a river of hail. I’m almost 40 and this is the first time I’ve seen this; it feels like winter came overnight.” “So frightening! Simply cannot go out! So much happened within a few minutes.” “I’ve never seen so much hail before.” “It’s only a few months into the year, and there’s hail?” “Truly the beads of the Tao River flowing.” “Lingtai, please be kinder in the future, it’s too difficult to handle.” “The weather is becoming more and more abnormal.”
Some also mentioned specific areas experiencing extreme weather conditions: “Pingliang, Gansu heard thunder just now and suddenly there was strong wind, heavy rain, and hail.” “The same for Lingtai.” “Wuwei is also enduring it.” “Many places are experiencing the same.”
According to China’s state media CCTV, as of 8:30 pm that evening, multiple areas including Anding District and Lintao County in Dingxi, Dongxiang County, Guanghe County, and Kang Le County in Linxia Prefecture had issued orange hailstorm warnings.
Furthermore, a netizen from Shaanxi Province mentioned, “You had hail yesterday, we had hail in Suidé, Yulin this morning at 9 o’clock.”