What is a Hailstorm?

About Hailstorm:

• Hail is a type of solid rain made up of balls or lumps of ice.
• Storms that produce hail that reaches the ground are known as hailstorms. 
• They typically last for no more than 15 minutes but can cause injuries to people and damage buildings, vehicles, and
• They are most common in the midlatitudes.
• Hailstorms can sometimes be accompanied by other severe weather events, such as cyclones and tornadoes. 
• Size: The size of hailstones can vary widely, from small pellets less than 1/4 inch in diameter to larger stones measuring several inches in size.
• Conditions for Hailstorms to occur:
  • Highly developed Cumulonimbus clouds need to be present. These are the massive anvil or mushroom-shaped clouds that are seen during thunderstorms, which can reach heights of up to 65,000 feet.
  • There must be strong currents of air ascending through these clouds. These currents are commonly known as updrafts.
  • The clouds will need to contain high concentrations of supercooled liquid water.
• How are Hails formed?
  • It begins as a water droplet that is swept up by an updraft inside of a thundercloud.
  • Other supercooled water droplets which are already present inside the cloud will adhere to the water droplet’s surface, forming layers of ice around it.
  • As the water droplet reaches higher elevations within the cloud, it comes into contact with more and more supercooled particles. 
  • The hail embryo will grow larger and larger as it reaches higher altitudes in the updraft.
  • Finally, it will reach a size and weight where gravity will begin to act on it and pull it down.
  • Large hailstones are often characterized by alternating layers of clear and opaque ice, caused by irregular rates of freezing.