Storm thrashes kiwifruit crops

KIWI - Some Bay of Plenty kiwifruit growers are trying to salvage crops devastated by a FREAK HAIL STORM. The storm hit at about 5pm on Monday and growers say they may have lost millions of dollars of produce. "It was like someone getting a shot gun and just firing it into all of the (kiwifruit) canopy." The storm is more bad news for the already struggling industry The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research says the freak weather strike is VERY RARE AND EXTREME. "It's a bit like having a pot on a stove, you've got heat at the bottom and cold at the top and it bubbles up and blows up these big thunder storm clouds."