Commuters in Paraguay rushed for cover this weekend after hailstones the size of ‘tennis balls’ crashed into cars and on streets.
A powerful storm hit the Paraguayan capital Asuncion and surrounding areas on Saturday, with videos of the massive hail going viral online.
One video published on social media showed a dog coming close to being knocked unconscious after his owner took him out for a walk.
He protected himself with an umbrella but left his pet at the mercy of the hail.
He only turned back and headed for the safety of his home after his four-legged companion was struck on the head by one of the giant hailstones.
Elsewhere, drivers were forced to shelter in petrol stations to minimise the damage to their vehicles, and football matches were temporarily suspended.
The storm caused widespread damage to houses and cars, with their windscreens smashed, and thousands were left without electricity.
Local reports said wind gusts had reached around 60mph, and some said the hail sounded like ‘gunshots’.
Afterwards, people caught up in the weather posed for photos with the hailstones.
One person placed them against an identically sized tennis ball to show how big they had been.
One person wrote: ‘What happened was unbelievable.’
Another added: ‘I’ve never seen such a violent storm.’
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The freak weather phenomenon occurred after climate scientists put out a warning about this year’s El Niño, saying it will be the worst in recorded history.
A recent report predicted as many as 451,000 more heat-related deaths between June this year and the end of February next year.
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