Hailstones pile up as heavy storms hit Germany

Intense storms in southern and western Germany saw hailstones pile up to half a metre high.

So much hail fell in the village of Weiler, in Bavaria, over such a short period of time that some roads were entirely blocked with ice.

Many streets, squares and even gardens were briefly transformed into winter landscapes by the heavy hailstorms.

Trees were uprooted and the fire brigade had to go out to pump out flooded cellars during the storms.

Almost a year ago, Germany faced one of its greatest natural disasters when scores died after torrential rain hit western parts of the country.