EXPLAINER: Why hailstorms occur in the Philippines

Residents of La Castellana, Negros Occidental experienced a hailstorm on June 18, with small ice pellets falling amid heavy rain and strong winds.

In a report by GMA News Feed, a video showed a woman picking up what had fallen from the sky, only to discover that it was ice.

The hailstones, some about the size of marbles and corn kernels, fell as a thunderstorm swept through the area.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Severe Storms Laboratory, hailstones "are formed when raindrops are carried upward by thunderstorm updrafts into extremely cold areas of the atmosphere and freeze."

"The hail falls when the thunderstorm's updraft can no longer support the weight of the hailstone, which can occur if the stone becomes large enough or the updraft weakens," the NOAA said.

Hailstones can damage homes, vehicles, crops, livestock, and even injure people.

PAGASA said hailstorms are not uncommon in the country.

A study by Ateneo de Manila University found that hail events in the Philippines occur more frequently during the hottest months of the year, particularly from March to May.

The study also found that Luzon accounts for the majority of reported hail events in the country.

However, larger hailstones measuring 3 centimeters or more are more commonly reported in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Most hail events occur in the afternoon, which is typically the hottest part of the day and the time when thunderstorms are most likely to develop. — VBL, GMA News