<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Millions of Australians in the country's largest cities could be facing a future of giant, more intense hailstorms, according to a new study.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, and Perth are all in the firing line, according to the research from the University of NSW's Sydney's Institute for Climate Risk and Response.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The study found that climate change could bring more damaging hailstorms as the globe heats up.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/munno-para-west-shooting-victim-daughter-interview/56c3ad0c-deb9-4600-a1af-e9bbce2ff25a" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>'Revenge is coming': Dad killed 'protecting son from ambush'</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In analysing simulations of weather in a warmer world, "we're seeing an increase in hail size over some capital cities", study lead author Dr Tim Raupach said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>However, other cities such as Adelaide did not show major changes in the simulations.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"More research is needed to better address the complexities in modelling hail," Raupach said.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/warnings-climate-change-could-increase-hailstone-damage-australia-cities/cd0aee87-a16e-46aa-8e35-cf879515caf7" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/migraine-census-2026-disappointment-as-invisible-illness/c8717bbd-ec5b-42af-8e84-705178d8f906" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Disappointment as 'invisible' illness which affects five million left off census</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Hailstorms were responsible for more than 20 per cent of insured losses in Australia from 1967 to 2023.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The damage is largely driven by the size of hailstones, with the record in Australia standing at about 16cm across for a stone found near Mackay, Queensland – more than twice the size of a cricket ball.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Raupach said more intense storms in the future could increase the chances of large-diameter hail.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/nsw-woman-credits-43-million-lotto-win-to-facebook-post/f476f64f-1a29-4c2c-ac6f-ce00d6eaf0b0" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>NSW woman wins $4.3 million lottery, cites odd Facebook video</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We looked at changes in hailstone size between simulations of historical and future periods," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"And we can see increases in hail size produced by the model around Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Perth.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"For example, in past simulations, very large, 10 cm hailstones were expected once every 20 years around Melbourne. But in a warmer future, it's once every three years."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Despite being made of ice, hailstones rely on warmth for their formation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In a thunderstorm, strong winds – updrafts – carry moisture high up into the atmosphere, where it freezes. These ice particles – known as 'hail embryos' – pick up supercooled water as they circulate through the storm cloud.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>To grow large hailstones, the storm cloud needs to be tall, with lots of energy to keep the stone suspended long enough to gather layers of ice.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While hail can fall anywhere in Australia, certain regions are particularly exposed.</span></div></div><div class="styles__Wrapper-sc-2o34ro-0 cmwkBV"><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><a href="/content/2025/07/29/05/32/today-in-history-july-29-what-happened-on-this-day-in-pictures"><img alt="" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 636px, (min-width: 768px) 396px, 100vw" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/JohxwrMUHfT-eycRGajThKXgwwY=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F316f0867-1ff0-4c14-b5da-4427d5280fd9" srcset="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/JohxwrMUHfT-eycRGajThKXgwwY=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F316f0867-1ff0-4c14-b5da-4427d5280fd9 396w, https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/Eb2jwJp01t64YWZ8ACgoastPZ9Q=/636x358/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F316f0867-1ff0-4c14-b5da-4427d5280fd9 636w"/></a></div><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><div class="styles__Headline-sc-2o34ro-4 hpbOlz">Brazen robber behind $183 million diamond heist never caught</div><div class="styles__Button-sc-2o34ro-1 eBjlmW"><a class="styles__ButtonLink-sc-2o34ro-2 hqpklJ" href="/content/2025/07/29/05/32/today-in-history-july-29-what-happened-on-this-day-in-pictures">View Gallery</a></div></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The main region is the East Coast from a bit north of Brisbane to a bit south of Sydney," Raupach said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>One of the major concerns about an increase in hail in that heavily-populated area, is the vulnerability of solar panels – though Raupach said this should not deter investment in renewables.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We should also think about how to strengthen our cities to resist hail damage, especially if hailstone size is increasing with climate change," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But in the meantime, Australians should become more acquainted with hail preparation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"To be protected from hail you can move undercover, move your car undercover, have good insurance and have strong roof tiles," Raupach said. He says some farmers use hail nets.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>QBE Insurance's Dr Joanna Aldridge, co-author of the study, warned that Australian building standards don't include hail resistance.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This left many properties "vulnerable", she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>If Australians need to take steps in the short term, Raupach also urged long-term action, both to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to further the study of future hail trends and how they could affect urban environments in particular.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's very early days, but maybe one day we could design cities with a reduced storm risk," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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