A severe thunderstorm hit the Australian capital of Canberra on Monday, causing damage to homes and cars, with clean up efforts expected to last for days. The ACT State Emergency Service (SES) said it had received 436 requests for assistance after the storm swept through at about 5.20 p.m. Large hail stones and strong winds were predicted, with SES warning residents to secure their properties. SES crews worked through the night to help the community, completing 211 jobs in the lead up to 6.30 a.m. on Tuesday, with over 200 requests outstanding. Most of the calls came from the hardest hit regions of Belconnen and Gungahlin, where trees came down on homes, cars, and road, with fallen powerlines and localised flooding. Additional staff and volunteers joined clean up operations from 8 a.m. on Tuesday. “The clean up is expected to extend across the next couple of days, with the highest …