Hailstorm leaves Turkish beach covered in ice
A massive hailstorm Thursday morning left a surreal wintry scene at Turkey's popular Illica Beach.
IZMIR, Turkey – An intense hailstorm left a surreal sight at what is usually a warm, inviting Turkish beach.
A passing thunderstorm dropped about an inch accumulation of pea-sized hailstones along Illica Beach near Izmir on Thursday morning.
IZMIR, TURKIYE - APRIL 06: People take photos at the well-known Ilica Beach turned white after hail hits Cesme district of Turkiye's Izmir on April 06, 2023. Residents awoke to a scene covered in snow in a region where snowfall is uncommon. (Photo by Mehmet Emin Menguarslan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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IZMIR, TURKIYE - APRIL 06: A view of well-known Ilica Beach turned white after hail hits Cesme district of Turkiye's Izmir on April 06, 2023. Residents awoke to a scene covered in snow in a region where snowfall is uncommon. (Photo by Mehmet Emin Menguarslan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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IZMIR, TURKIYE - APRIL 06: A woman holds a handful of snow at the well-known Ilica Beach turned white after hail hits Cesme district of Turkiye's Izmir on April 06, 2023. Residents awoke to a scene covered in snow in a region where snowfall is uncommon. (Photo by Mehmet Emin Menguarslan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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IZMIR, TURKIYE - APRIL 06: A woman takes photos at the well-known Ilica Beach turned white after hail hits Cesme district of Turkiye's Izmir on April 06, 2023. Residents awoke to a scene covered in snow in a region where snowfall is uncommon. (Photo by Mehmet Emin Menguarslan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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IZMIR, TURKIYE - APRIL 06: A view of well-known Ilica Beach turned white after hail hits Cesme district of Turkiye's Izmir on April 06, 2023. Residents awoke to a scene covered in snow in a region where snowfall is uncommon. (Photo by Mehmet Emin Menguarslan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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A few residents flocked to the wintry scene on the beach flanked by palm trees to document the unusual scene.
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The beach, which sits along the Aegean Sea in western Turkey, typically sees temperatures in the 70s by now, on their way to sunshine-filled days in the 90s during the summer.