A sudden storm hit a city in southwest China with ping pong ball-sized hailstones, causing damage to cars and leaving a thick layer of ice on the roads.

The video was filmed in the city of Guiyang in Guizhou Province on March 16.

According to a man named Qin, the storm suddenly came when he was dining on a roadside. Some residents sought shelter in nearby buildings. Qin said the storm lasted for around an hour before turning into heavy rain.

Another resident named Chen said he was driving home when the storm struck. He had to use a shovel to clear the ice from his car, which had been battered with hailstones the size of ping pong balls.

"The hailstones piled up about 20 centimetres thick in some places," Chen said. "The trees on the side of the road were broken and damaged too."

Officials from the Guiyang Meteorological Bureau said that the hailstorm was part of a larger weather system that moved from north to south, affecting many areas. The largest hailstones were reported to be 30 millimetres in diameter.

Fortunately, no reports of any injuries caused by the storm.

3月16日晚，贵阳突降冰雹，有居民形容冰雹个头快赶上乒乓球大小，车窗玻璃被砸裂，车身上也被砸满了“弹痕”。冰雹堆积在道路上约有20厘米厚，导致车辆被困，无法正常通行。
贵阳市民秦先生介绍，16日晚9时许，他在路边吃饭时突然狂风大作，很快就下起了冰雹，冰雹个头很大，众人纷纷找建筑物躲避。冰雹天气持续了约1个小时，后来就下起了大雨。
市民陈先生则表示，16日晚10时许，他开车回家，因为道路上堆积了厚厚的冰雹，车子都无法正常通行，只好用铁锹铲开冰雹。“有20厘米厚吧，有的冰雹个头快有乒乓球大小，路边树枝都被砸断了。”
贵阳市气象台工作人员介绍，此次降水呈现从北向南推进的过程，不少地区出现了冰雹天气，冰雹直径最大为30毫米，具体损失孩子统计中，没有人员受伤报告。