Here’s an email we just received from reader Ernie French:

hey Tao, any news on this?

It hailed last year june 11th, 2013

yesterday, it hailed for a moment (at dzm, at least) during that sudden, torrential storm.

coincidence? I think not.  Are they re-using the cloud seeding schedule? Or is it that they always seed after the gaokao ends?

WE THINK NOT EITHER.

Here’s what I wrote last year, the second Tuesday of June, when this city last saw hail.

In exactly 364 days, I’ll be sure my Beijing windows are closed.

(Because the water that sliced through picked up all the dirt and debris on the mesh windows and turned my tabletop black.)

(Image by Hannah Lincoln)

Being from Hong Kong, storms no longer faze me. But hailstones the size of golf balls? That’s a different story. An upscale mall in Kowloon Tong recently had its windows smashed by hail, and certain subway stations were flooded; planes were diverted, containers at our ports were blown sideways… what a way to end a weekend of Rugby Sevens! (Which New Zealand won, by the way.)

My aunt sent me these photos:

You might be interested to know that hailstorm covering a wide area is a warning sign of upcoming economic or political instability, according to renowned fengshui consultant Mak Ling-Ling (via The Standard):

“Hong Kong has seen hail many times in history. But hailstorms in large areas, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong are rare,” she said. “It could be a case of people’s complaints not being heard.”

People’s complaints not being heard - maybe they’re not protesting enough.

A reminder that hail can be deadly. Stay safe out there, and watch your spending.

UPDATE, 3:05 pm: Via SCMP:

Heavy rain will continue in Guangdong, Guangxi and parts of Taiwan until at least Wednesday, China’s National Meterological Centre said on Monday. Hailstorms could still occur in southern and central parts of Guangdong, it added.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Monday morning that at least 16 people were killed and two missing in the first disastrous storms to hit southern China this spring since March 28.

Also see: Hail And Serein: The Amazing Storm That Just Swept Through Beijing

That was quite the collective experience, Beijing.

An hour ago, a dam in the sky broke. Rain turned into pellets of ice, the sound of its steady assault only interrupted by thunderclap that set off car alarms. One imagines Qu Yuan sitting somewhere with his feet propped up, enjoying the show.

As quickly as the storm came, it departed — but not before the sun shone out of a hole while the clouds were wrung dry. Now it is quiet, the singing of birds and rustling leaves beginning to fade amid the resumption of human activity, vehicles, construction.

The Netherlands play China in a football friendly at Workers’ Stadium at 8 pm. There’s a cooking class over at The Hutong, a circus at the Bird’s Nest, a celebration of Jacques Cousteau’s birthday at Cu Ju, and happy hours everywhere. I have a party to attend in Shuangjing, others have family dinners to share, bikes to ride, music to enjoy. Onward, everyone. The evening awaits.

A freak hailstorm swept through southern China last night, hitting Fujian, Hunan and Guangdong provinces, but the place that got it worst was the city of Dongguan, Guangdong, where preliminary reports say at least eight people have died and 136 injured.

According to SCMP, “maximum wind speeds were recorded at 49.1 metres a second, and the greatest precipitation of rain was recorded at 40.6mm in Dalingshan.”

Witnesses likened the egg-sized hail to “stones falling from the sky” and said they “sounded like endless drumming.”

Judging by some pictures, the hail was even bigger than eggs in some parts:

Here’s another picture via CNTV:

And three more pictures of the damage:

Here’s a compilation video:

Youku version of top vid:

UPDATE, 3/22, 5:12 pm: Looks like it’s now 9 dead, 272 injured, according to Xinhua. Eleven or those injured are in critical condition.