Massive hailstones send Brabant drivers hiding under overpasses

By Janene Pieters on June 24, 2016 - 12:45
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Motorists hiding from massive hail stones under an overpass on the A2 in Valkenwaard, 23 June 2016 (Photo: @claudiareiner01/Twitter). Motorists hiding from massive hail stones under an overpass on the A2 in Valkenwaard, 23 June 2016 (Photo: @claudiareiner01/Twitter)

A massive thunderstorm hit Brabant on Thursday evening. The southeast of the province bore the brunt of the storm with lightning flashes lighting the night sky and giant hailstones falling from the sky. The size of the hail stones ranged from 3 to 5 centimeters in diameter, Omroep Brabant reports.

Dirvers on the A2 highway in Valkenswaard had to find cover under overpasses. "It was really scary", Claudia Reiner, one such driver, told the broadcaster. "I've never seen such big hailstones. It hit my car very hard. Luckily I could find an overpass." She was not the only one looking for cover."It was very crowded, but we made room for more people. Everyone was very helpful."

According to the broadcaster, there were reports of damage from numerous municipalities in Zuidoost-Brabant. Roof were tiles blown off, cars' windows broken and house windows broken in Lierop, Valkenswaard and Westerhoven, among others.

In addition to the massive storm, Brabant also had its first tropical day of the year on Thursday, with afternoon temperatures reaching 32 degrees.

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