How Large Must Hailstones Be to Damage a Car?
2 Answers
Hailstones the size of a one-yuan coin, some as large as an egg, or even as big as a tennis ball can. Hailstones falling from high altitudes possess significant kinetic energy and can be quite destructive, capable of damaging cars by causing body and windshield injuries, though the extent of damage depends on the size of the hailstones. Smaller Hailstones: For smaller hailstones, those not exceeding two centimeters in diameter, the impact is generally minimal. Cars have a certain level of resistance to such impacts, and in most cases, they will remain unharmed, with no damage inflicted on the vehicle. Larger Hailstones: However, larger hailstones, such as those the size of a one-yuan coin, some as large as an egg, or even as big as a tennis ball, are much heavier and can indeed damage cars. These hailstones can not only scratch the car's paint but also cause glass shattering and body dents.
Last time, hailstones the size of corn kernels were bad enough—about 1.5 cm in diameter—leaving tiny white dots all over the hood. The mechanic used a paint thickness gauge and found the clear coat had cracked. Then came hailstones the size of dates, over 3 cm in diameter, which were even scarier—my neighbor’s SUV sunroof shattered on the spot. The most extreme was last year’s golf-ball-sized hailstorm in the news, where car roofs were dented into wavy shapes, and not a single piece of glass survived. My advice: park in an underground garage if there’s a hail warning, or at least cover the car with a thick car cover for some cushioning.
