Posted: 00:28, August 3, 2022 | Updated: 00:34, 3 August 2022
Terrifying footage shows the moment drivers on a major Canadian highway were hit by hail the size of golf balls on Monday.
Gibran Marquez was traveling on a central Alberta highway with two others when the three were forced to swerve as their vehicle was hit by hail.
Marquez posted video of the storm on Twitter showing passengers drifting onto the freeway and ducking as pieces of hail shattered car windows.
The video was captioned, “Last night, 5km south of petrol lane, horrendous 17 minutes as car windows were shown shattering as hail hit the surface.
“Put the backpack on your left,” Marquez can be heard saying as he hands the driver the bag as a shield from the shattering windows.
The driver shields a female passenger from the broken windshield in his arms as hail comes through the cracks in the window. People outside can be heard screaming as the storm continues.
Coincidentally, Monday’s weather in parts of Alberta saw a high of 80 F and a low of 56 F, according to The Weather Channel.
Hail smashed the windows of vehicles in Alberta, Canada as a storm passed through. Gibran Marquez captured the moments when hail overtook the vehicle he was riding in on Monday
Marquez posted the aftermath of the storm with the vehicle far out on the freeway. The vehicle was decorated with yellow caution tape and broken windows
Some parts of Alberta on Monday reached a high of 89F and a low of 56F
Marquez posted another video of the moments when the hail started hitting the car.
“Oh my god,” screams the female passenger as balls of hail slowly begin to shatter the windshield.
Meanwhile, Marquez shows the vehicle’s rear window partially broken.
“I had to get footage of this… people need to see how severe these storms can get in seconds,” Marquez wrote in response to a commenter.
Marquez further claimed that some suffered cuts, bruises and mild concussions. A photo of the female passenger being treated by a firefighter was shared as a rainbow peaked in the background.
Marquez said no one in his car was seriously injured. He said there were only a few cuts, bruises and a mild concussion
The car driven by Marquez was pulled to the side of the road with yellow caution tape.
Marquez shared photos as the storm passed as some drivers returned to the freeway with some remaining untouched.
Following the storm, Alberta Emergency Management issued a tornado warning on Monday that is no longer effective
Marquez posted the photo of the sky with the storm passing in the distance. Some cars passed by without being touched
Grapefruit-sized hail was reported in parts of Alberta. The NHP Field Project took a photo of one of the hail balls next to a ruler.
Meanwhile, another commuter driving in the Alberta town of Markerville also showed off a piece of hail he picked up from the storm.
“I can’t even,” Mhairi tweeted. “Out of panic I took it without putting it on the ruler properly. Tennis balls when it was NW of Markerville 17:50. They’re still coming down. Stay clean.’
I can’t even. I panicked and took it without putting it on the ruler properly 😂. Tennis balls when it was NW of Markerville 17:40. They’re still coming down. Stay clean. #abstormpic.twitter.com/TpGJCUD6ZM
— Mhairi (@Mahairy93) August 2, 2022
Users took to Twitter to share photos of their experiences with the hashtag, ‘abstorm’.
A storm chaser, TL Carmody, shared a photo of the family car that was punctured in the middle of the hail storm.
“I met a very troubled family in [the] McDonald’s in Innisfail caught in hail,” wrote TL Carmody. “Everyone is fine, and they were very nice to let me take pictures.”
Carmody posted the photo of the red vehicle that was damaged and broken by the massive ice.
A red vehicle was smashed by hail in the storm. The family was “very upset” after being caught up in the riots
