On Tuesday, Beijing residents witnessed an astonishing and extreme shift in the weather. During the day, they were roasted under a scorching heat of 32.3°C. However, as night fell, they were suddenly faced with egg – sized hailstones.
In the evening, hailstones with diameters ranging from 1 to 4 centimeters pelted parts of the city, leaving the residents in shock and causing damage to vehicles.
At 8 p.m., the Beijing Meteorological Observatory issued warnings for thunderstorms accompanied by short – term gales reaching up to level 8 in intensity and hail. Yellow thunderstorm warnings, blue wind warnings, and yellow hail warnings were all put out, emphasizing the potential for severe gusts and hail in certain areas throughout the night.
By 8:33 p.m., the combination of hail and thunderstorms struck the Haidian district. The observatory warned that large hailstones had the potential to cause damage. Online photos revealed hailstones as large as 4 centimeters in diameter, and some residents even likened them to eggs.
Liu, a long – time resident of Beijing, described this hailstorm as “extremely rare.” Netizens were amazed at the strange contrast between the high temperature during the day and the sudden hailstorm at night.
He Na, the chief forecaster at the observatory, explained that the high temperatures led to the accumulation of atmospheric energy. When combined with favorable conditions, this triggered intense convective weather. The interaction of energy and moisture created perfect conditions for the severe storm, with convective activity commencing earlier in the western and northern parts of the city.
