On 31 October 2006, at Hexham in the Hunter Valley, a thunderstorm produced hail four centimetres in diameter. The hail damaged up to 10,000 motor vehicles and stripped leaves off trees.
Impacts included:
- four-centimetre produced by a thunderstorm at Wallsend
- two-centimetre hail and strong winds reported at Kahibah
- three to four-centimeter hail reported at New Lambton.
The State Emergency Service received more than 257 calls for assistance in the Newcastle city area.
The Insurance Council of Australia estimated the 2006 storm damage at $51 million, with the 2011 estimated normalised cost of $60 million.