CALGARY - Massive hail damaged homes and cars near Airdrie, Alta., Thursday while something called a "gustnado" appears to have touched down on the outskirts of Calgary.
Three nasty rounds of hail hit Airdrie — one shortly after 4 p.m., one around 8 p.m. and another around 11 p.m. — bringing with them hail as big as golf balls and a fair bit of rain.
“All of a sudden, it was just pounding on the window, like rocks were coming,” Airdrie homeowner Tammy Noel told Global News.
“Our top window in our master bedroom, one of them is broken. We have holes all over the front of our siding.”
Pictures posted to Twitter showed streets covered in so much hail it looked like a winter scene, and several people shared photos of cracked windshields and damaged property.
See more photos of the hail. Story continues after the slideshow:
Airdrie Hail Storm, Aug. 7 2014
In Calgary, a police officer reported seeing what he thought was a tornado touching down but quickly dissipating.
However, Environment Canada says it was in actuality a spiral of high wind, or “gustnado.”
No damage was reported from the phenomenon.
Meanwhile, a trio of children in Red Deer rescued a bird who appeared to have its wing broken by massive hail stones.
"It was just flopping around on the middle of the road so we were trying to get it moved over to the side," 10-year-old Chasity Vinoeau told CBC.
"What might have happened is he might have been flying maybe and got hit (by hail.)"
The bird was taken to the Medicine River Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre for treatment.
With files from the Canadian Press
