• The hail storm covered the entire villages under the snow like blanket
  • Destroyed crops, houses and live stock in seven villages
  • The hailstones started falling from the sky on Tuesday night

By Jill Reilly

PUBLISHED: 05:56 EST, 31 January 2013 | UPDATED: 06:25 EST, 31 January 2013

Hailstones the size of boulders have rained down on villages in southern India.

At least nine people were killed when the violent weather hit several villages in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

The hailstorm which lasted for almost 20 minutes, destroyed crops, houses and live stock, causing devastating financial implications for residents.

Raining down: People cleaning the streets covered with large boulders of hailstorm Andhra Pradesh, India

Raining down: People cleaning the streets covered with large boulders of hailstorm Andhra Pradesh, India

Killed:

Killed: At least nine people died when a violent hailstorm hit several villages of Andhra Pradesh in South India

WORLD'S DEADLIEST HAILSTORMS

The world's deadliest hailstorms -  perhaps the largest hailstones - occur on the Deccan Plateau of northern India and in Bangladesh.

The heaviest authenticated hailstone ever measured was 2.25 pounds - it fell in Bangladesh on April 14, 1986.

Anecdotal reports claimed the stones were the size of 'pumpkins' and ninety-two people died.

A hailstorm in the Moradabad and Beheri districts of India killed 246 people on April 30, 1888, the deadliest hailstorm on record in modern history.

Source: Wunderground

It was once-in-lifetime experience for people living in seven villages in Chevella, Moinabad and Shankarpally.

The hailstones started falling from the sky on Tuesday night and covered the entire villages under the snow-like blanket.

Some women were seen attempting to sweep up the massive boulders using flimsy brushes more suited to lighter debris.

Destruction: The hailstorm which lasted for almost 20 minutes destroyed the crops, houses and live stock with massive financial implication for the residents

Destruction: The hailstorm which lasted for almost 20 minutes destroyed the crops, houses and live stock with massive financial implication for the residents

Surprising: The hail storm covered the entire villages under the snow like blanket. This was once-in-a-lifetime experience for people living in seven villages such as Chevella, Moinabad and Shankarpally

Surprising: The hail storm covered the entire villages under the snow like blanket. This was once-in-a-lifetime experience for people living in seven villages such as Chevella, Moinabad and Shankarpally

Dr K. Sitarama, director, Meteorological Centre Hyderabad, said: 'The hailstorm was caused by an intense thunderstorm.

'Such occurances are highly localised and restricted to a small area.'

The storm in the south was extremely rare as the deadliest hailstorms, and perhaps the largest hailstones, in the world occur on the Deccan Plateau of northern India and in Bangladesh.