Hail wreaks havoc in Newcastle

The "terrifying" sound of glass shattering rang out in Newcastle on Thursday night when hail battered the northern KwaZulu-Natal town.

Houses and cars were damaged throughout the area.

"It was quite hectic. We had a lot of rain in the afternoon. At about 9pm it was quiet and then suddenly a hailstorm began. It lasted for just 15 minutes, but it was just havoc. People could hear their windows breaking," Newcastle Growth Coalition chairman Johan Pieters told TimesLIVE.

On Friday morning, residents began assessing the damage.

"It has to be millions of rands worth of damage. Our own business premises was damaged and we have estimated it to be hundreds of thousands of rands. It is going to be quite a hectic day for Newcastle," Pieters said.

Newcastle Municipality spokesman Dumisani Thabethe told TimesLIVE that the mayor and municipal officials were expected to conduct a walkabout on Friday morning to assess the damage.

"At this stage we are unable to confirm injuries or the cost of the damage. We will only be able to provide that information after the walkabout," he said.