On the evening of September 13th, Beijing was suddenly hit by a hailstorm, with hailstones as large as chicken eggs. A woman was on her way home when she was hit all over by the hailstones, leaving her body covered in wounds.
According to a report from the Beijing Radio and Television Station BRTV, the woman recalled that she was completely shocked at the time. The hail was exceptionally large, almost the size of eggs, and hitting her body caused unbearable pain. She was left with injuries all over her body, with a twisted ankle. The water on the street rose to knee level, the streetlights went out, leaving the area in complete darkness. She stood helplessly by the roadside, crying, until two men noticed her condition and rushed over. One protected her head while the other shielded her body, and together they escorted her back home.
Footage showed the woman with multiple red, broken skin injuries on her head, back, and chest, and a visible swelling on her head.
On the evening of September 13th, hailstones suddenly fell in several areas of Beijing, including Fangshan, Fengtai, Daxing, and Chaoyang. According to a blog post by “Hotspot Gravitational Waves,” while driving home from the Guomao area, the sky was still gently lit by the evening twilight, but suddenly, large hailstones struck like machine gun fire. “The sound was like countless small stones waltzing to their demise on the roof, giving a tingling sensation on the scalp. In just a few minutes, the ground was covered with a layer of white ‘ice chips’.”
The blogger stated that the intensity of this hailstorm was indeed rare, with hailstones in some areas reaching up to 5 centimeters in diameter, equivalent to a standard ping pong ball, powerful enough to pierce through the roof of a car.
According to the blogger, when the hail hit, the bus stop shelters were crowded with people seeking shelter from the rain. The owner of a roadside small supermarket opened the store door, inviting shivering passersby to come inside and take cover.
Extreme weather events have sparked discussions online. Many internet users expressed their concerns, with comments like, “I understand completely, the hail the other day was really terrifying.” “I also got hit on the road, and scrambled to find a place to hide.” “Extreme weather is becoming more frequent.” “The other day, hail fell in Datong, and now today (the 15th), hail is hitting Datong again. Beijing car owners should take precautions against this.”