Catalonia, a hotspot for hailstorms in Europe

BarcelonaHail and hailstones are a classic weather phenomenon in our area. They are common, especially in summer, but in recent years, an increase in these off-season phenomena has been detected, especially with larger stones. This year is a good example, as exceptional hailstorms have been recorded since April due to unusual timing and sizes. All of this is a result of the impact of global warming and the climate crisis.

Rising air and sea temperatures favor the occurrence of these types of phenomena. This is confirmed by a new report from the Meteorological Service of Catalonia (Meteocat) published today, which particularly highlights the increase in large-diameter hailstorms. Intense heat favors the formation of storm clouds, and a warmer sea contributes more water to the atmosphere. A combination that allows "considerable-sized stones to form," explains Carme Farnell, a Meteocat meteorologist and hail specialist, in the study.

The study concludes that the increasingly intense heat, along with other factors such as topography and humidity, make Catalonia a "hot spot" for hailstorms at the European level. Only the northern region of Switzerland surpasses our country in optimal conditions for experiencing severe episodes of this type.

The Catalan regions that usually suffer hailstorms are those located in the Pla de Lleida, the Pre-Pyrenees, or the northeast interior. But lately, these difficult-to-predict extreme phenomena are also reaching the coast. "This could be due to the warming of sea waters, which intensely affects the Mediterranean, as it adds more water content and slight instability, key ingredients for a giant-sized hailstorm," says Farnell.

extensive damage to property and crops, and some human damage.

Call for citizen collaboration

Once again this year, Meteocat is calling on citizens to participate in the campaign. meteocatpiedra to monitor hailstorms across the country. The initiative calls for images of hailstones that have fallen during a storm to be sent or posted on social media with the hashtag #meteocatpiedra. If the stones exceed 7 centimeters in diameter, Please store them in the freezer and a Meteocat team will come to collect them.. Its study allows for a better understanding and prediction of these phenomena.