17 Amazing Facts About Hailstorms That Every Kid Should Know!

Let's be honest, one of the wonders of childhood has been to witness the phenomenon of hail storms.

Even in places that never saw snow, suddenly there would be a change of weather leading to hailstorms. This is magical to witness as the hailstones begin to create a pattering sound on the roof that's forever etched in our memories.

However, as we grow up, hailstorms can be related to a hazardous phenomenon that we want to avoid. The big hailstones can often damage the roof or lead to more serious damage to a car.

But, even though one somehow manages to learn ways to avoid hail damage, it is easy to forget to learn about what causes these solid ice pieces to fall from the sky. Hence, here is a guide to unveiling the secrets of hail storms.

So, do keep reading if you have always found hail storms to be fascinating.

If you enjoyed this article, why not also read about hail and the biggest hail in the world, here on Kidadl.

What causes a hailstorm?

The simplest reason behind a hailstorm is the formation of hailstones; which due to thunderstorm clouds and gravity bring down the hail to the ground directly.

Now, let us dig a bit deeper into the phenomenon of hail storms. These storms usually take place when the hailstones become heavy enough to withstand the high winds of thunderstorms and finally fall to the ground due to gravitational pull.

At times, due to strong horizontal winds, you can see the hail falling at an angled position rather than vertically like rain. Along with bigger pieces of hail, the storms also have smaller hailstones that can be easily carried away during the early stage of a storm.

Because of the force of gravity, the large hail pieces can cause serious injury or damage in case of severe thunderstorms.

Having said that, the speed of hailstones may vary based on several aspects like the size of hailstones, the air conditions, as well as the vertical and horizontal winds. A hailstorm can often be preceded by heavy rain and winds.

Compared to small hailstones, some large hailstones have been known to fall at a rate of 100 mph (160.93 kph) leading to hail damage and can quickly become a hazard.

The phenomenon of hail dropping from the sky can be spelled as both 'hailstorm' and 'hail storm.'

How are hailstones formed?

Hailstones are formed when thunderstorm updrafts pull in raindrops and turn them into balls of ice known as hailstones in cold areas of the atmosphere.

Once the raindrops have been sucked up by the thunderstorm updraft, the hailstone is formed as the liquid water drops keep attaching to it and turn into ice. Early research compared them to perfectly solid ice balls, but more modern research shows that hailstones are a bit different and even fall slower compared to compact ice balls.

The appearance of a hailstone may differ based on how it has been formed. When the water droplets collide into the hail and freeze instantly, the hailstone will be on the cloudy side as air bubbles get into it. But, if the freezing happens slowly, the hail can remain clear as the air bubbles have time to escape.

Once the updraft is unable to handle the heavyweight of the hailstones, these balls of ice come down on the surface of our earth in the form of the precipitation that has always been fascinating. In some places, it can lead to severe weather issues, and hail swaths can easily damage crops or young plants.

Places Where Hailstorms Happen

A hailstorm is not as distinct as you may think, and small hailstones can often fall along with thunderstorms. So, every place has a probability of getting hailstorms, but there are some places where the probability of getting hail is high every year.

In the United States, hail storm alerts are quite common. Precautionary measures are taken to prevent hail damage, especially to the crops. The states that are most susceptible to hail include Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming. These three states are together referred to as the 'hail alley' as they witness seven to nine hail days every year.

Apart from these states, Texas and Oklahoma are also prone to getting hail every year. Interestingly, Cheyenne, a city of Wyoming, is known as the hail capital of the country due to having the highest average number of hail days.

In the US, most hail events are common during the months from May to August. When it comes to other countries, hail storms are common in Russia, China, India, as well as northern Italy.

The Largest Hailstone Ever Recorded

The largest hailstone is said to be one from Vivian, South Dakota, where a hailstone was found in 2010 with a diameter of 8 in (20.32 cm) and circumference of 18.63 in (47.32 cm).

However, the record has come to a close battle with the severe hail storm of 2018 when a hail measuring 7.4 in (18.80 cm) in diameter and 9.3 in (23.62 cm) length was found in Villa Carlos Paz, of Córdoba, Argentina due to a supercell thunderstorm.

Similarly, in 2020 reports of larger hailstones started to come from Tripoli, Libya where the photos claim that the largest hail might have been more than 8 in (20.32 cm). On initial discovery of the hail in Vivian, scientists categorized these super-sized hails as gargantuan hail.

Coming to the heaviest hail, it's said to have been found in Bangladesh, weighing around 2.25 lb (1.02 kg) in a hail storm that took place in 1986. Compared to it, the hail from Vivian weighed around 1.94 lb (0.88 kg).

The Worst Hailstorm In History

As we have said before, hail damage can be worrisome for people as the fast-falling ice balls can be a threat to their lives. Apart from the Vivian hail storm, the storm that tormented the I-70 corridor of eastern Kansas in April 2001 is said to have been the costliest blow to the US.

Throughout the years, there have been instances where hail has made the lives of people unbearable. The severity of hail storms is often calculated by the damage done by a storm as well as with the help of the hailstones. Hail is usually compared to the size of an object such as a tennis ball or even a baseball.

In the US, one of the last severe hail storms occurred in 2017 in Minneapolis, Minnesota where the hail storm lasted for a week and the damages were around $2.5 billion. In the storm of Gopalganj, Bangladesh, where the heaviest hail was found, around 92 people died along with causing huge damage.

One of the deadliest hailstorms is said to have had taken place in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, when the hail killed more than 230 people and over 1,600 livestock in 1888. The hails were described to have been as big as oranges.

In Asia, hailstorms have been noted even as far back as the ninth century, when hundreds of pilgrims were noted to have died due to a hailstorm in Roopkund, India.

In November 2020, an awful hailstorm hit Brisbane, Australia, which caused extreme damage in the southern and western suburbs of the city. On the single day of November 1, the damages were said to be more than AU $50 million. It was taken to be a forecast for the onset of La Niña weather.

Even though not many heavily damaging hailstorms have been noted in Africa, there was one instance of a storm in November 1949 that took place in Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa where the hailstorms broke around 120,000 windows of the Iscor plant, which is now known as Mittal Steel South Africa.

Another storm is said to have taken place in 1936, where apparently coconut-sized hailstones fell in Settlers, Transvaal, located in South Africa.

It's claimed that it killed 26 people and many livestock.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 17 amazing facts about hailstorms that every kid should know! then why not take a look at famous thunderstorms or the three stages of thunderstorms.