Hailstones pelted Beijing at 11:40 PM Sunday.

The intensive hailing continued for about ten minutes among gales and thunders, and turned into light showers at midnight.

"This is at least the third time for me to see hailstones in Beijing this summer, more frequently than the previous years in my memory," said a local citizen surnamed Li.

Rare hailstones that pelted parts of Beijing on May 31 caused 48.16 million yuan (about US$5.8 million) in direct economic losses, according to the municipal bureau of civil affairs, as the hailing affected many suburban areas including Mentougou, Tongzhou, Daxing, Fangshan, Pinggu and Huairou.

(Xinhua News Agency July 11, 2005)