Guadalajara, in southwest Mexico, had been experiencing temperatures of about 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit) this week before an unexpected storm pummeled the city with over 5 feet of ice.
In the early hours of the morning of June 30th, an unprecedented summer storm started pelting down tons of ice pellets on Guadalajara. The city has had it's fair share of severe weather, being 5,100 ft above sea level, but locals have never witnessed such intense hail in the city before.
In a short period of time, a sea of hail flooded the streets, damaging homes and sweeping vehicles away in an icy deluge.. small cars and large trucks alike ended up buried under large blankets of ice.
Hail forms as warm updrafts of air occur during a thunderstorm. The force of the air blows the rain droplets upwards into cool atmosphere which instantly freezes them.. strong cold downward drafts then hurl the ice hailing down towards the earth.
No deaths have been recorded, but two people were reportedly suffering from hypothermia. Many businesses were also badly affected by Sunday's storm.
By Sunday afternoon, Mexican police and military personnel were out on the streets helping other civil servants clear away the ice.
Enrique Alfaro Ramirez, the governor of Jalisco, said in a tweet:
"These were scenes that I had never seen before! and We asked ourselves if climate change exists..."
But not all was doom and gloom, many local residents decided to make the most of the situation, coming out to play in the winter wonderland that sprouted up out of nowhere.. Someone even made a snow angel! #winning!
