Why has the hail increased?

Hailstones are also changing with the climate crisis and becoming significantly more dangerous. Their stones continue to grow and in some cases reach the size of golf balls, with devastating effects on land, buildings, and people. It is estimated that hailstones larger than five centimeters in diameter can cause serious damage to crops, vehicles, and even buildings.

Europe, and Italy in particular, have become some of the world's most affected regions by the phenomenon of hailstorm growth, both in frequency and in the size of the stones. Everyone remembers well a hailstorm in July 2023 in Azzano Decimo, in the province of Pordenone, during which a hailstone measuring 19 centimeters in diameter was found, very close to the world record of 20,3 centimeters set in 2010 in South Dakota.

The latest research on the large comes from theEuropean severe storms laboratory, which has created a global registry in which hailstorms from 1950 to 2023 are recorded and then studied.

What comes out of these studies? The frequency of hailstorms and the size of the stones have even decreased in some areas of the Southern Hemisphere, while there has been a very significant increase in the Northern Hemisphere, particularly in Europe and especially in Italy.

But why are these events becoming more frequent, more powerful, and more damaging in our region? Scientists have a clear answer: the primary cause lies in atmospheric warming, which has significantly increased the intensity of storms and thus the volume of hailstones. Essentially, the climate crisis and warming of land and sea surfaces are increasing atmospheric instability, creating ideal conditions for stronger and more violent storms, which form hail.And pollution can also indirectly affect hail: dust particles and other pollutants in the atmosphere can act as condensation nuclei, promoting the formation of denser clouds and the growth of hail.