2 November 2026 | See disclaimer
All hail has the potential to damage your car. Stay on top of hail warnings and have a plan of where to take your car if there is an incoming storm. If you can’t access a garage or undercover parking before a hailstorm, blankets, doonas, and even car floor mats could be used to protect your car. All Budget Direct Car insurance customers get access to Hail Hero, a system that sends SMS texts before a hailstorm strikes.
Table of contents
What size hail can cause car damage?
What should you do if caught in hail while driving?
Where should you park to avoid hail damage?
Does Comprehensive Car Insurance cover hail damage?
How can you track hailstorms in advance with Hail Hero?
What size hail can cause car damage?
There isn’t a firm minimum for how large hailstones can be before they cause car damage. Even small hailstones can damage a car. Factors like wind speed and the speed the vehicle is travelling can affect the impact in a way that isn’t always proportional to the size of the hailstone itself.
The Bureau of Meteorology explains that severe thunderstorm warnings are issued when it’s expected that a storm will produce hail that’s at least 2 cm in diameter. This is the level when it can “damage crops and property.” And when hail is 5 cm in diameter, a giant hail warning is issued.
What it comes down to is there isn’t a ‘safe’ size of hail. Always check weather reports and be aware of incoming hail warnings to protect your vehicle.
What should you do if caught in hail while driving?
If you’re driving during a hailstorm, try to seek cover as soon as possible. We don’t recommend parking under trees, as hail can shred through leaves and branches, and if it’s a heavy storm you run the risk of damage from falling tree limbs.
While hailstorms can be frightening, they generally don’t last longer than 15 minutes. If there’s no shelter nearby, you should:
- Pull off to the side of the road if it’s safe to do so. Make sure you’re not obstructing the flow of traffic.
- Turn on your hazard lights to increase your visibility for other cars.
- Cover yourself in case hailstones smash the car windows. Use a coat or even a floor mat to protect yourself from broken glass or hailstones.
Where should you park to avoid hail damage?
To protect your car from hail at home, garages, car ports, and covered car parks are the best places to park. If those aren’t available, go to your nearest shopping centre as they usually have lots of undercover parking available to wait out a storm.
Make sure you don’t park in underpasses, tunnels, or under bridges. Congestion on motorways can lead to traffic jams and prevent other cars from getting to a safe location and emergency services responding to the storm.
Does Comprehensive Car Insurance cover hail damage?
Yes, Budget Direct’s Comprehensive Insurance does cover hail damage. Hail damage can vary from being a simple fix to causing your car to be written-off if it is uneconomical to repair. If you have Comprehensive Insurance, you will have to pay an excess.
Before taking out a policy with Budget Direct, make sure to disclose whether your car has any pre-existing hail or general damage.
If you’re looking for Comprehensive Insurance, get an online quote with Budget Direct and save 15%^ on your first year’s premium.
How can you track hailstorms in advance with Hail Hero?
Hail Hero is an award-winning SMS weather alerts system provided to all Budget Direct car and motorcycle insurance customers, regardless of their insurance level.
The service sends free SMS weather alerts before potential hailstorms are due to hit in the postcode where your car/motorcycle is usually kept.
By getting Comprehensive Insurance at Budget Direct, you not only get covered for hail damage, but can get the Hail Hero warning. This potentially gives car and motorcycle owners time to get their vehicle under cover before a hailstorm strikes.
What are DIY ways to protect a car from hail?
If you have nowhere you can safely park your car under cover before a hailstorm hits, you could use blankets, doonas or even pillows on your car. In a pinch, even the car floor mats could be used to protect your roof or windshield. These aren’t guaranteed to protect your vehicle, but it could help minimise the worst damage done to your car.
Do hail protection car covers actually work?
There are hail protection car covers available which can use either air (inflatable) or condensed foam padding to protect a car. While the use of these products won’t lower your insurance premium, if you don’t have a garage or car port, these could be a way to protect your car at home when you hear reports of incoming hailstorms.
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