Heavy Rain and Hail Across Many Regions of the Mainland Create an Unusual Sight: Cars Covered With Quilts

On June 18, 2026, in the Xuanhua District of Zhangjiakou, Hebei, numerous cars were covered with quilts to protect them from hail damage. (Video screenshot / The Dajiyuan composite)

[People News] Since June of this year, over ten provinces in China have experienced extreme weather characterized by strong convective conditions, including heavy rain and hail. Hailstones the size of eggs have become a common occurrence, leading to frequent damage to car roofs and windshields. Consequently, many people have learned from past experiences and quickly cover their vehicles with quilts upon receiving hail warnings to mitigate potential losses.

As reported by The Epoch Times, by June 19, hail warnings or strong convective weather alerts mentioning hail had been issued in at least 19 provinces across the mainland, including Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Shandong, Anhui, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Xinjiang.

However, official warnings often underestimate the severity of local disasters. According to the highest-level red warning for hail, authorities issued alerts on June 3 for Qinglong Manchu Autonomous County in Qinhuangdao, Hebei; on June 5 for Renqiu City in Cangzhou, Hebei; on June 7 for Funing District in Qinhuangdao, Hebei; and again on June 9 for Funing District in Qinhuangdao, Hebei.

In reality, the country has faced a significant hailstorm event, as evidenced by videos shared among the public and reports from domestic media. The first wave of severely affected areas from June 3 to 5 included Baoding, Gu'an, Langfang, Shijiazhuang, and Beijing in Hebei.

The second wave of severely affected areas around June 10 included Xiong'an, Baoding, Zhangjiakou, and Langfang.

The third wave of severe weather from June 15 to 19 impacted regions including Zhangjiakou, Xuanhua, Datong, Hunyuan, Kangbao, Huai'an, and Bole in Xinjiang.

For instance, in Xuanhua District of Hebei, where the largest hail was recorded on June 16, local residents were seen in a video weighing hailstones that reached up to 1.3 jin (approximately 0.65 kg). Many hailstones were larger than a fist. The damage was extensive, with numerous cars suffering smashed roofs and windshields, and the tiles on the roofs of all the villagers' houses were shattered, leading to heavy rain outside and light rain inside. Some passersby were caught off guard and sustained head injuries from the hail.

Local victims filmed long lines of people at 4S dealerships applying for car insurance claims, reminiscent of patients waiting for emergency treatment at a hospital. However, the official warning for the hail in Xuanhua was only an orange alert, not a red alert.

In light of the significant vehicle damage caused by the hail, many locals took precautions. After the meteorological station in Xuanhua issued another orange hail alert on June 18, car owners quickly covered their vehicles with thick quilts, creating a distinctive sight on the streets.

Some car owners humorously noted that they could hardly recognize their own cars under the quilts.

Another Xuanhua car owner humorously remarked that residents of Xuanhua do two things around the Dragon Boat Festival: making zongzi (rice dumplings) and covering their cars.

One car owner, still shaken, said, 'I’m terrified; I just replaced my windshield and spent all night searching for a suitable quilt.'

A technician from a local repair shop in Hebei shared on the 19th, 'We had a car in our shop that had just been painted the day before. It left in the afternoon, and 24 hours later, it returned with hail damage all over.'

A netizen vividly expressed, 'Once bitten by a snake, ten years afraid of a rope well.'

However, this time the people of Xuanhua were fully prepared for hail, but it never arrived. As a result, some netizens humorously remarked, 'This set of armor should be enough to scare the hail away, making it too afraid to come.'

This year, unusual weather patterns have been observed across the country, prompting many online to express their concerns.

Netizens noted that during the hailstorm in June, the hail was not only large but also fell with such intensity that it seemed to be poured directly from the sky, quickly forming a thick layer (similar to snow) that rose above shoe level. The simultaneous heavy rain and hail caused the hail to float along with the floodwaters, leading people to describe it as 'ice rivers', hail rivers, and glaciers crossing the streets. For instance, this occurred in Anshan, Liaoning, Gu'an, Hebei, and Songming, Yunnan.

Many netizens have commented on the particularly strange weather this year, with some exclaiming that 'the end of the world has come.' Others expressed confusion over who might be harboring grievances, as the heavens seem to be unleashing hail in such a manner.
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