That would make last month's hail storm seem a bit trivial, I suppose.

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Sure, a big hail storm or the like will do a number on your megabucks rooftop installation, but the sun itself, the very thing those cells are designed to capture, gradually damages their internals, reducing efficiency.

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As an example, in July 2011 a severe storm with baseball-sized hail moved through southern Rapid City, where I live.

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This was the worst storm to hit Brisbane in a quarter of a century, unleashing hail, torrential rain and strong winds.

BBC: Brisbane storm worst in 25 years

He was met by a hail of missiles including rotten fruit, pennies and stones and people tried to storm the platform.

BBC: 31 July

"This storm had everything you could handle at one time: tornadoes, hail, lightning, heavy rain, people clogging the highways, " Mr. Smith said.

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The storm has reached as far as Arkansas, where some areas were hit by a combination of hail, sleet and freezing rain.

BBC: 'Thundersnow' storm in US Midwest blamed for two deaths