Hail

Hail is a type of solid precipitation that consists of ice pellets or balls that form within strong thunderstorms known as supercells. Hailstones are created when there are strong updrafts of air within a storm that carry raindrops upward into extremely cold regions of the cloud. These raindrops freeze into ice pellets, and as they are lifted and fall back down within the storm, they can collect additional layers of ice, growing in size. Hailstones can range in size from small pebbles to large golf balls or even larger. Hail can cause significant damage to crops, buildings, and vehicles, and it poses a risk to human safety when it occurs during severe thunderstorms. Hailstorms are most common in regions with strong convective activity and occur primarily during warm months when conditions are favorable for thunderstorm development.