Recently, multiple towns in Qingchuan County, Sichuan Province, were unexpectedly hit by a hailstorm. Local residents expressed astonishment at the unusually large hailstones, describing them as falling rapidly and causing their legs to shake in fear.
According to a report by CCTV News, on April 30th around 5:45 pm, Qingchuan County in Sichuan Province was suddenly struck by a hailstorm that lasted for about 10 minutes. The hailstorm mainly affected the towns of Qiaozhuang and Dayuan Hui Ethnic Township, as reported by local authorities.
In news from Jiupai, on May 1st, a woman named Li from Qingchuan County mentioned that at 50 years old, she had never experienced such a severe hailstorm before. She recalled that even as a child, she had only seen a few small hailstones scattered in the sky. But this time, the hailstorm lasted for over nine minutes without stopping. Li described standing under the eaves, looking up at the sky where the hailstones were falling violently and rapidly, causing her legs to tremble in fright.
Videos circulated online showed the high density of the hail, turning roads into “ice rivers” instantly, creating a white, icy landscape. Due to the sudden hailstorm, some street vendors were unable to pack up their stalls in time. In one video, a motorcyclist was seen blocked at an intersection by the icy road.
Li recalled that before the hailstorm, strong winds suddenly picked up, darkening the sky. The powerful wind even blew the blankets she had hung on the rooftop of her three-story building down. She hurried to the third floor to retrieve her bedding, but the wind was so strong that she could barely stand, unable to collect the blankets. As she rushed back downstairs to the second floor, that’s when she witnessed the hailstones plummeting down.
After the hailstorm passed, when Li returned to her room on the second floor for inspection, she discovered that because a window was left open, the hailstones were carried inside by the strong winds, landing on her bed like hardened rice balls.
Li added that the hailstorm caused her even more losses. Her car parked in front of her house had both front and rear windows smashed. The crops such as grains, vegetables, and wheat grown back home were all destroyed, resulting in a year’s worth of hard work going to waste.
According to reports from Jimum News, a resident of Qiaozhuang Town in Qingchuan County mentioned that the hailstorm began suddenly around 5:45 pm on April 30th, with some hailstones as big as tangyuan (glutinous rice balls). Some flowerpots placed outdoors were smashed by the hail. The scene was described as a white-covered road, with the hail creating a river-like appearance.
Another local resident noted the intensity of the hailstorm, mentioning that even small cars had dents from the impact, with the hail falling for about 10 minutes.
The Qingchuan County Meteorological Observatory issued an orange hailstorm warning at 5:37 pm on April 30th, indicating the possibility of hail accompanied by thunderstorms within six hours in several towns like Qiaozhuang, Qima, and Houxihui Ethnic Township, citing the risk of hail disaster.
Preliminary statistics showed that some farmland and economic crops were damaged, with specific areas and crop types still being verified by agricultural authorities. Additionally, some tile houses and rain shelters suffered roof damages due to the hailstorm.