Intense hailstorm hits Adelaide, South Australia

An intense thunderstorm accompanied with large hail hit Adelaide, South Australia on November 11, 2016.

At the time of the event, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) reported four thunderstorms tracking southeasterly across Adelaide, the Barossa, and the Fleurieu Peninsula.

The weather system brought heavy rainfall, strong winds, and golf-size hail to the affected regions. According to Mark Anolak, senior forecaster, several stations recorded between 5 and 10 mm (0.2 and 0.4 inches) of precipitation in a period of only ten minutes. 

Video credit: Carl Strehlow

Video credit: thanh tu

“Larger hail has fallen, particularly through the north-eastern areas of the Adelaide metropolitan area. I don’t now how often we see hailstones this big in Adelaide,” he said.

Torrential downpours have caused localized flash flooding. Affected areas include Adelaide, Whyalla, Renmark, Mount Gambier, Leigh Creek, and Moomba. About 1 000 properties across parts of Adelaide, the Mid North, and Yorke Peninsula reported power loss.

Before the storm system swept the region, temperatures up to 31 °C (87.8 °F) were reported in Adelaide. The weather system was accompanied by wind gusts over 90 km/h (55.9 mph) while BOM warned that gusts over 125 km/h (77.7 mph) could affect the North East Pastoral, Mid North, and Riverland.

Featured image: Hailstorm in Adelaide, South Australia, November 11, 2016. Image credit: Carl Strehlow