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© Samke BandzScreenshots taken from the clip showing the aftermath of the hailstorm.
An agrometeorologist says climate change may be contributing to increasingly unpredictable and severe weather patterns after an unprecedented hailstorm battered Pietermaritzburg on Saturday night, leaving parts of the city blanketed in thick ice and residents and motorists "snowed in".

Pelham Residents were left stunned after the storm dumped thick layers of hail over roads, homes and vehicles for more than 30 minutes, leaving motorists stranded and residents spending hours shovelling hail from driveways and roads well into Sunday morning.

Large parts of the city resembled snow-covered landscapes, with some residents describing the buildup as "calf-deep" in certain areas.


Several motorists became trapped in their vehicles, while residents reported damage to roofs, vehicles and homes.

In some areas, vehicles became stuck in the stacked hail and had to be towed out.

A tow truck operator from Joey's Towing, Aidan Moodley, said he spent an hour removing six vehicles from College Road, while the rest of his team was dispatched to other roads in the area as calls for assistance mounted with more vehicles getting stuck in the thick hail.

"The hail was stacked quite high. Some of the vehicles we assisted were Ford Ranger bakkies, as well as hatchbacks and sudans," he said.

Mop-up operations continued on Sunday, with the hail still not having melted by midday in Pelham and surrounding areas, as residents and the municipality continued to clear ice off the roads.