If you think Ireland’s weather is getting more extreme, then spare a thought for the thousands of Australian drivers who have had their cars damaged by giant hailstones recently.

The latest hailstorm took place in Queensland in mid November and has prompted the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) to declare the event a catastrophe. The storm stretched from the Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast and saw hailstones the size of cricket balls rain down on vehicles causing extensive damage to windscreens and bodywork. Insurers say that over 11,000 vehicles claims have already been made with an expected price tag of $120 Aus million.

The worrying thing, from a climate perspective is that these storms are increasingly regular and seem to be growing in ferocity.

The bodyshop industry in Queensland apparently has mixed feelings about the repair opportunities these storms create. A lot of the work is now sent to a growing number of specialist hail centres, while mobile specialist also pick up much of the work. Larger bodyshops often dislike the disruptive impact that a wave of hail repairs can have on their workflow, while there are also inevitable concerns over repair job profitability when it comes to hail damage.