Hailstorms can be a really frightening and dangerous weather event. This is when frozen balls of ice fall from the sky from as high as 30,000 feet and they can reach speeds of 120 mph. This hail then crashes into the ground and it would be a good idea if you are not in the way. There are different weather conditions that create this hail. Hail comes from storm clouds and these clouds produce strong updrafts of warm air and strong downdrafts of cold air. It is in the updrafts when the water rises and then freezes. The frozen droplets are circulated between the updrafts and the downdrafts and they partially thaw and then refreeze. They fall to the ground as hailstones when they are too heavy for the updraft to continue circulating them.
Hailstones are often described by their size and they are often referred to as balls like pea-sized or softball-sized hail. These hailstorms can do quite a bit of damage to cars and homes. Hail has been known to break windows in homes and windshields in cars. Hailstone records are recorded and the largest sized hailstone was seven inches in diameter in Nebraska.
Meterorologists detect hailstones by using a radar to look inside the storm clouds. That is how they predict that a dangerous hailstorm is on the way. On the radar these hailsones appear in the color red. Doppler Radar is used to estimate the size of the hail. When there is hail, then this indicates the possibility of a tornado.
Many storms can produce hail with or without tornadoes. Hailstorms can lead to a lot of destruction so it is a good thing to stay inside so you can save yourself from becoming injured. Hail can be so destructive as to chip brick walls. It can do a lot of damage to roofs as well and can cause extensive structural damage to buildings.
When a hailstorm is on the way, a weather bulletin will be posted in your area on the television or the radio. It is then that you should prepare for this dangerous storm and take cover. If you are driving in a hailstorm it is a good idea to find a safe place to park and provide protection for your car. Thousands of cars are damaged each year from hailstorms. If you are working outside then you must stop and go inside to safe place because hail can injure you and it is dangerous. It is hard pieces of ice that fall from the sky at high speeds.
