On 1 January 1947 at 2.30 pm, a severe hailstorm spread over Sydney, with hail stones reportedly falling in some instances up to 1.8 kg. The hail caused widespread damage to the area.

The storm started in the St. George and Canterbury-Bankstown districts, tracking across Sydney from the south-western suburbs to the eastern suburbs. Many city buildings, such as the Art Gallery and Central Station, sustained extensive damage and more than 300 people were hospitalised.

Suburbs affected include Bankstown, Belmore, Enfield, Rockdale, Bexley North, Punchbowl Hurstville, Marrickville, Stanmore, Enmore, Newtown. Redfern, Mascot, Botany, Waterloo, Paddington, Bondi, Edgecliff, Double Bay, Rose Bay, Vaucluse, Darling Point, Cremorne, Beecroft and the central and southern part of the city.