Hail

Hail is a type of precipitation that consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice called hailstones. Hail is formed in severe thunderstorms when strong updrafts carry raindrops upward into extremely cold areas of the atmosphere, where they freeze into hailstones. These hailstones can then grow larger as they are lifted and circulated within the storm cloud, before eventually falling to the ground.

Formation of Hail

1. Updrafts: Strong updrafts in severe thunderstorms carry raindrops upward into the cold regions of the atmosphere.

2. Freezing: The raindrops freeze into small hailstones as they are carried to higher, colder altitudes.

3. Growth: The hailstones can grow larger as they are lifted and circulated within the storm cloud, accumulating layers of ice.

4. Falling to the Ground: Eventually, the hailstones become too heavy to be supported by the updrafts and fall to the ground as hail.

Characteristics of Hail

Hailstones can vary in size from small pea-sized hail to large golf ball-sized or even larger hailstones. The size of hailstones is determined by the strength of the updrafts and the amount of time the hailstones spend circulating within the storm cloud. Hail can cause damage to crops, vehicles, and structures, and poses a risk to human safety during severe storms.