AFTER squaring off against Alan Jones earlier in the week,
Chinchilla melon grower Terry O'Leary at least had a win against Mother Nature on Saturday afternoon.
Mr O'Leary was relieved that the last of his watermelon crop
was untouched by a massive hail storm that hit Chinchilla at around 5.30pm on Saturday, causing widespread damage to building, cars and crops in the district.
"We were very concerned watching the storm but thankfully our melon crop was completely untouched," he said.
"There would have been some sorghum crops in that Chances Plains region that got a bit of a touch up though.
"My wife's car was completely written off and I think there would be hundreds of cars with damage around town. The hail was so strong that it punched holes in corrugated iron roofs."
The O'Learys have just one week left of picking in a season marred by massive price swings.
"We had the worst start we've ever had with prices well below cost of production for December and January and then, in February, because of the disease pressures that southern growers had, the prices really lifted.
"I doubt we will ever see prices like that in February again."