Hail Stones the size of Marbles!

Early afternoon today the temperatures suddenly plummeted from 12 degrees to 4 degrees in about 30 minutes. Marble-sized hail stones pelted Wellington - it was short, sharp and to the point and within 10 minutes the streets in the central city were completely white. The hail stones were so large, they hurt as they pelted you and it was hard to walk without holding onto something as the uncovered pathways were so slippery. I was relieved when I got back to the car and just sat parked until it was over. The sound of the hailstones and the rattling thunder was phenomenal. What is happening to our weather?

I took this photo from across the street in the city.