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Heavy rain fell on the city's central area at around 3 p.m., with many small hailstones, about the size of an adult's pinky finger, hitting the streets and rooftops.
Small hailstones drop in HCMC's District 1, June 14, 2024. Video by Le Huyen
Hai, a resident of District 1, reported hearing a "thumping" noise on his roof that lasted about five minutes during the heavy rain. Curious, he went outside and observed many small stones falling from the sky.
"The hailstones were about the size of a pinky finger and melted quickly afterward," he said.
About two kilometers away, many motorcyclists traveling on the road in District 4 had to stop because the hailstones around 0.5 cm in diameter were hitting them.
Other areas, including Districts 3, 7, and Binh Thanh, also reported hail.
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Hailstones the size of a finger captured by a resident during a thunderstorm in HCMC, June 14, 2024. Photo by Dinh Tung |
Le Dinh Quyet, Deputy Head of Forecasting at the Southern Regional Hydrometeorological Center, explained that the hail occurred due to strong air convection.
"Before the hail, the outdoor temperature and humidity were very high. The sudden rain caused the air convection that led to the hail," he said. This phenomenon usually occurs over a short duration and is rare in HCMC.
According to meteorologists, hail typically appears in the northern region due to its hilly and mountainous terrain. However, over the past 20 years, this phenomenon has been occurring more frequently in HCMC and the southern region due to climate change, when rains come after hot days.
