Wednesday April 14 11:00 PM ET

Hailstorm Batters Sydney

By ROHAN SULLIVAN Associated Press Writer

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Golf balls. Tennis balls. Lemons. Cantaloupes. Sydney residents couldn't agree on the size of the hailstones.

But no one had any doubt Thursday about the ferocity of a storm that tore across the city overnight, damaging thousands of homes and cars, cutting power supplies and phone lines and briefly grounding planes.

The chunks of ice began to fall about 7:30 p.m., just after the forecast on the evening news told viewers to expect mild fall conditions.

``We got no warning,'' said John Butt of inner-city Rushcutters Bay. ``I mean, if you were out in the street I'm sure you would have been badly bruised or knocked unconscious.''

Plummeting chunks of ice damaged roofs, battered cars and knocked out traffic lights. Up to 15,000 homes lost power. Lightning sparked at least 25 electrical fires, authorities said.

Sydney Airport spokesman Julian Green said all flights were grounded for about 20 minutes at the height of the storm.

Ambulance services said dozens of people had been treated for cuts from broken glass and other abrasions. Others, including a man who suffered head injuries when he fell from a roof, were injured on Thursday as they tried to make repairs.

The Insurance Council of Australia said repairs could run to $190 million.

Weather Bureau spokesman Evan Bathe said the storm caught forecasters by surprise because it had been drifting out to sea but suddenly cut inland.