VIDEO: Freak hail storm attacks Siberian beach in the middle of summer

Swimmers on the popular river beach in Siberia's largest city, Novosibirsk, were treated to an awful surprise: golfball-sized hailstones.

Sunbathers told the Siberian Times, that there was no warning before the downpour of hail, with temperatures at the beach as hot as 37C (or, 99F). In the later afternoon, heavy winds hit the beach between the two bridges across the Ob river, and the sky opened up.

"It was like being hit by raining bullets from the sky," said one sunbather.

One man tried to protect his daughter by shielding her with his body, "but his back was exposed to the hailstones and he has bruising all over it," said his wife.

Siberia may be known for its icy winters, though in the summertime, cold temperatures and hail are extremely rare. Normal weather could be equated to that of Mediterranean resorts.

Would you wait it out, or go home immediately? Let us know in the comments below.