Swimsuit clad beachgoers enjoying the warm summer weather in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk had to run for cover at the weekend as hailstones the size of golf-balls began to pelt them.
Although known for temperatures below -20 degrees Celcius in winter, the Russian region usually experiences pleasant summer weather in the mid-20s.
On Saturday families were basking in very warm weather in the high 30s and swimming at beach beside a bridge on the Ob river, the fifth largest river in the world.
A video posted on YouTube shows a sudden storm coming in and winds whipping up forcing beachgoers to pack up their belongings. However the storm quickly brought very large hailstones.
The footage shows bathers running from the river for shelter and huddling under parasols on the riverside beach as they are hit by the egg-sized chunks of frozen rain. It shows people seeking protection under towels as hundreds of hailstones pelt the water and beach.
According to the Moscow Times , the temperatures dropped by 20 degrees during the storm. It said such an event was extremely rare and extreme weather was also seen across the Ural Mountain region.
The video has had over 1 million views since it was posted on Saturday.
The city is some 3,500km from the Russian capital Moscow and is the country’s third most populated city.
