Severe Hail Storm Batters Phoenix, Arizona, Shattering Glass

A rare and severe storm brought destructive hail to Phoenix, the capital of Arizona in the United States, leaving widespread damage in its wake. Footage captured from the area shows individuals taking shelter inside vehicles as large chunks of ice smash through windshields, while heavy downpours blanketed entire neighborhoods in ice and floodwaters.

The extreme weather battered various parts of the US state, with reports confirming that golf ball-sized hail cracked windows and compromised residential structures. The sudden intensity of the storm caught many residents off guard as severe weather conditions swept across local communities.

Hailstones the size of golf balls typically form in powerful cumulonimbus clouds where strong updrafts continuously push water droplets high into freezing atmospheric layers, allowing ice to accumulate layer by layer before falling. Although Arizona is widely recognized for its arid climate, intense seasonal thunderstorms can generate severe convective weather systems. The simultaneous issuance of tornado watches highlights the sheer atmospheric instability driving these destructive cells.

In response to the escalating danger, the National Weather Service issued multiple weather warnings and tornado watches as the powerful storm system continued its trajectory across the region.

Source: BBC Science & Environment