Naples battered by grapefruit-sized hailstones

Cars and homes were damaged and animals were injured when hailstones the size of grapefruits pummelled the Italian seaside city of Naples.

A huge storm battered the southern Italian city on Saturday smashing windows, car windshields and damaging roof tiles.

A video filmed on a boat off the Neapolitan coast shows a steady stream of hailstones splashing down all around the vessel as the skipper races back to port.

Some of the hailstones were up to 8cm in diameter making them a record size for Naples, according to a local weather website.

The city also experienced lightning strikes, heavy rain and strong winds.

It is the most intense storm Naples has witnessed in 15 years.