Cars are destroyed by giant golf ball-sized hailstones as a fierce storm hits Spain

Cars have been destroyed by giant golf ball-sized hailstones that fell from the sky last night as a fierce storm swept through the Spanish city of Almeria.

The heavy hailstorm caused extensive damage as it swept across the southern Spanish city, which also suffered flooding from excessive rainfall.

Photos and videos shared on social media showed the large hailstones damaging car windshields and windows, causing severe dents and chips to the metal and paint.

Other videos and photos showed the storm’s aftermath, with one showing nearly a dozen large holes in the rear window of an Almeria resident’s car.

On top of the hail, the city was flooded, with 100 mm of rain falling in twelve hours. At its heaviest, 30 mm of rain fell in one hour.

The hail was accompanied by heavy rainfall, flooding the city

The size and intensity of the hailstorm were the result of storm clouds that have been battering the region for days.

Yesterday, the Dólar, in Granada, was inundated with 148mm of rain, while Caravaca de la Cruz, in Murcia, dumped 104mm and Carcaixent, in Valencia, was hit with 85.8mm.

It comes just a few months after British holidaymakers hoping to leave the rain behind by heading to Spain faced torrential downpours, hail, high winds and flash flooding.

Images from the Costa Blanca showed flooded streets, overflowing rivers and rushing water rushing over dry fields before crashing onto highways in June.

Hailstones fell in some parts of the Valencian community, including the provinces of Alicante and Valencia.

The huge hailstones caused damage to cars in the city

The rear windows were smashed by the hailstones

The streets of Almeria were flooded after the heavy rain

Car metalwork remained dented

The extent of the damage to the city is not yet known

Further south in Murcia the roads turned into raging streams. In the capital, residents and tourists were photographed ankle-deep in water on the main street as they tried to make their way past shops, while others took refuge inside.

Elsewhere in the province, cars and garbage bins could be seen ‘swimming’ through streets that looked more like rivers. Firefighters are said to be ‘working tirelessly’ while roads were closed in some places.

In contrast, British holidaymakers on the Costa del Sol basked in the glorious sunshine today.

In Marbella, tourists were topping up their tans under blue skies in temperatures of 26 degrees Celsius (78 degrees Fahrenheit).

It was a welcome change for those who had just flown in from Britain.

Office worker Sally Jones, 26, said: ‘I was in desperate need of sunshine. The weather was really gloomy at home.

‘I have friends who are now on the Costa Blanca and say they would have preferred to go on holiday with me.’