What led to the giant, damaging hail which smashed parts of Queensland over the weekend?

Over the weekend, parts of south-east and southern Queensland were pummelled by giant hailstones, which measured between 8 and 9 centimetres in the hardest-hit areas. 

In parts of the Darling Downs, as well as the town of Esk to Brisbane’s north-west, hail wrecked solar panels, cars, windows and…