Written for the Wapentake Writers 2009 Doncaster:
Yorkshire’s been bombarded with quite a few hail storms a lately, but spare a thought for the people of India for in 1888 northern India reported one of the highest death tolls on record due to hail related deaths in one monster mother of a storm. 246 people died at Moradabad and 50 miles away 16 more at Bareilly.
The largest ever recorded hailstone in the United States was in 2010, it measured a whopping 8’’ in diameter weighing in at 1.93 pounds.
A hailstorm can last from just a couple of minutes to around fifteen.
👸In the Middle Ages people tried all kinds of customs to try and ward off hailstones; they used to fire cannons 🧨to try and protect crops and ring the church bells🔔in an attempt to prevent a storm from coming.
Hail storms do pose a significant threat to aircraft, if the hailstones exceed 13mm in diameter, hail has also been known to damage and dent vehicles and shatter windows.
Whether you’re a fan of these thunderstorm formed icy beauties or not you can’t help but admire the potency of Mother Nature.
© D.M.Brighton