Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, south-west of Nigeria, on Thursday recorded an unusual rainfall laden with ice falling, also known as hailstorm.
Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is referred to as a hail stone.
Residents witnessed ice blocks, the size of gravels falling from the sky leaving the very apprehensive when solid blocks started falling on rooftops, road and vehicles, making very loud unusual sound.
According to reports, the ice storm started during the heavy rainfall which started around 5.42pm, lasting about 27 minutes with strong winds.
Wind shields of three vehicles were reportedly broken by the ice at Ake, the heart of the ancient town.
Similar ice storm were experienced other parts of the city such as Panseke, Kuto and at the MKO Abiola Stadium.
A witness who wrote his experience on a social media platform stated that “I’m presently driving somewhere around Kuto, in Abeokuta and there’s massive hail storm here. It’s so strong; it’s got people leaving their cars for shelter. To give you an idea, it’s like having gravel poured on the roof of your vehicle from a four storey building.”
Another witness, Mr. Denola Badejo of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, said he was afraid when the rain caught him driving. “I thought it would break my glass.”
