After a prolonged drought in the Penedès region of Catalonia, a severe hailstorm hit the region last weekend, stripping many vines along its path. The storm, which started at about 8pm local time, produced hail for roughly 30 minutes.
Almost 1,500 hectares (3,705 acres) of vines were destroyed in the storms, accounting for about 7m kg of grapes, worth an estimated €5m (£4.25m). Most of the grapes grown in this region are used to make cava, putting an extra strain on the supply chain this year, with many vineyards now unable to produce any wine from this harvest.
In Texas, it was not the quantity or duration of hail that caused damage, but the size of the hailstones. A pineapple-sized hailstone was found by a group of storm chasers last weekend, measuring about 18cm in length. The finders also described seeing several baseball-sized hailstones, which cracked their windscreen. This may be a new state record for hailstone size but will have to be confirmed by a group of researchers including the Texas state climatologists.
People in north-eastern parts of the US experienced some devastating tornadoes this week. One tornado hit the city of Livonia, Michigan, on Wednesday afternoon with maximum winds reaching 95mph (153km/h). The tornado developed so quickly that no warning was issued by the National Weather Service, and consequently, no sirens were set off to inform residents. One tree that was uprooted fell on a family home, killing a toddler and leaving the mother critically injured.
The same night in Maryland, several tornadoes were reported between 6pm and 11pm. These were strong enough to uproot trees, trapping several people in their homes. There were no major injuries after the warning sirens were activated, highlighting the importance of these early alarm systems.
