Hailstorm strikes Baguio City, Philippines

Ice crystals rained on the city for 20 minutes during the weekend, clattering on roofs of houses, business establishments and cars on the streets but no damage was reported, officials said on Sunday.

Letty Dispo, weather specialist of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said people rushed out of their homes last Saturday to catch the ice crystals, which were as small as grain of corn and as big as marble.

“The hail storm hit barangays Quezon Hill, Pinsao Proper, Quirino Hill and most parts of the central business district area during an early afternoon rain following a very hot noontime,” Dispo said.

It was the second hail storm to struck Baguio this year. Last May 1, a 30-minute hailstorm hit the city with ice crystals as small as marbles and as big as ice cubes taken from the refrigerator.

Hail storms usually occur after a hot day. The water that formed in the clouds were unable to melt before they reach the ground because the process of condensation was still incomplete.

Dispo said the hail storm was a result of negative effects of climate change and the unusual weather patterns and the elevated areas of Baguio and Benguet will continue to experience hail storms in the coming weeks until such time that the rainy season have normalized.

She said the crystals were safe and clean and people can put it in their mouths provided they did not pick it up from the ground or roofs of building.

The city disaster risk reduction and management council said there was no report of injury or damage to property caused by the ice crystals that people seemed to welcome as a rare experience.

While people crowded the sidewalks, cars and jeepneys slowed down on the streets and people watch in awe as the crystals fell on the roofs of their vehicles, on windshields and hoods.