The Hail Storm – Beauty With Drawbacks

When the water droplets become cool enough.

While raining, suddenly if you see small balls of hard ice falling from the sky, run under a shade and witness the beautiful yet destructive hail storm. It does not last for a long time but can cause severe damage to people and things exposed to hail storms. It looks beautiful when the ice gathers on the ground but it damages literally everything it touches. Buildings, vehicles, animals, corps and humans; everyone can face fatal damage in a hail storm.

Formation: Freezes to Stone

Clouds during thunderstorms are the most efficient place for hail formation. Hail has onion-like layers of thin ice. It starts forming on a small ice sphere, which is referred to as the condensation nuclei. The clouds should be dense and full with liquid water. If most of the cloud is below freezing temperature, it helps in forming hail. Wind shear also interferes in the formation of hail.

Amazing Stats: Beauty of the Beast

Hail can be small as a pea and even large like our palm. In larger hail stones, the concentric rings made of thin ice layers are clear to see and they look beautiful. Sometimes, the outer surface of a hail stone is not smooth. Heaviest hail stone was of around 1 kg. Largest diameter was measured as 20 cm. Kericho of Kenya is the most common spot for witnessing hail storms.

Hail Streaks: Accumulation

Hail storms normally sustain from a few minutes to 15 minutes maximum. In this period, heavy rainfall, hail and storms can cause severe damage to trees, animals and humans. The accumulated hail ice can wash away steep areas. This is why floods and flash floods can get triggered. This accumulation is so intense that it can be spotted through satellites. Dump trucks are normally used to remove large accumulations. The accumulated ice can seem beautiful from far, but is actually dangerous and fatal where it accumulates.

Precautions: Take Measures

People in hail storm prone areas should always be cautious about the weather forecast. Shades can be made to avoid injuries. Deploying Silver Iodide in clouds can help prevent hail formation. Hail cannons are proved to be handy in these situations too. Last but not the least, hail is dangerous. They seem beautiful but you should avoid clicking pictures or videos from an unsafe area as it can cost you your life.