OMGHAILKAOS

[MrDuke]

We've had a fair few hailstorms here over the past couple of weeks, and normally the only lasting effects are the little drifts by the kerb, like snow, until the rain dissolves it. This afternoon we had an absolute belter which sounded like pebbledash on the windows, but lasted less than a minute. Five minutes after that, I headed out along the A55 in torrential rain, whereupon I saw a Megane next to the embankment, on its side - then noticed the entire road was coated with hail. There was absolutely no grip whatsoever, and I had to pootle along at around 35mph - less than half a mile later, on the other carriageway, a Berlingo was sitting on its roof. I don't think either car was going excessively fast for the heavy rain, the layer of hail was just so unexpected and hitting the brakes would've done nothing to slow them down at all. It looked as though the hail had frozen in place where it landed, and the rain just wasn't clearing it. Half an hour later I came back the same way, and it was still slippery as hell. I've never encountered this before, anyone else?

 

 

 

To make up for the boring nature of the post, here's a snowplough:

 

[Sloth in a bowl]

A few years ago it rained and hailed in Birmingham at dusk in the evening rush hour, then froze solid straight away. No snow expected so no gritting had been done but loads of OMGNOGOKAOS. A friend of ours gave up trying to get home to Kidderminster and stayed in town for the night. 

 

P.S. The snow plough needs more flamethrowers

[Split_Pin]

I am always trawling YouTube for weather events and some of the US stormchaser videos of hail are amazing!

[wuvvum]

Are those W123 doors on the front of that snowplow?

[r.welfare]

I'd say mk1 Golf.

[mercrocker]

W123 doors no good....too frilly, let too much snow thru

[Pillock]

Last year it hailed so hard here it totalled loads of cars through dozens of dents. For ages everywhere you looked there were cars driving around with yellow crayon on from the insurance assessors.

 

Our Touran was dented badly on the bonnet, never got around to sorting it.

[DSdriver]

One of my Mrs_DSdrivers relatives shipped a badly hail damaged Alfa all the way back from Australia which I found worrying until I discovered Autoshite.