| Hail,
it's summer in the city By
SELMA MILOVANOVIC |
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This is how Melbourne's skyline looked at 7.30 last night as a massive hailstorm descended on the city. Hail, truly the size of golf balls, blanketed city streets and emergency services struggled to cope as suburbs were hit by flash floods and blackouts. The image by Age photographer Joe Castro was taken from the observation deck of the Rialto towers. Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Terry Ryan said the last time a hailstorm this size hit Melbourne was in Melton three years ago. Such severe hailstorms during summer were more common in Sydney and Brisbane, he said. "But because it was very humid, the air rose so high and cloud tops were higher than usual. The result was very large hail." The temperature soared to 35.5 degrees yesterday afternoon, but dropped 11 degrees within an hour at the height of the storm, between 7 and 8 pm. A spokesman for State Emergency Services said Oakleigh was hardest hit, with local residents placing 30 calls to the service as homes were flooded. Other affected suburbs included Keilor, Moorabbin and St Kilda. Motorists on the West Gate Bridge reported heavy hail, while restaurant goers in bayside suburbs resorted to calling taxis after blackouts ended their night out. Hailstones four centimetres in diameter were reported in Flinders and Spencer Streets in the city and wind speeds of up to 100 kmh were reported near Keilor Park. |
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