A heavy hailstorm raged in northeastern Spain. A little girl was killed by a hailstone.
La Bisbal d’Empordà – Longer periods of drought and increasingly frequent heavy rain. The climate is changing and many people are increasingly affected by extreme weather events. Severe floods are raging in Pakistan, affecting more than 30 million people. In Spain, near the French border, there was a heavy hailstorm on Tuesday. A toddler died in the process.
Storm in Spain: Baby is killed by hailstones
A 20-month-old baby died Wednesday as a result of a hailstorm. The girl was hit by a huge hailstone on Tuesday afternoon in La Bisbal d’Empordà (Catalonia). The child succumbed to his injuries in hospital. More than fifty people were injured. Some people suffered bruises and broken bones from the heavy hailstones, as reported by the Spanish portal rtve .
The storm left some damage to cars and buildings. Videos show shattered windshields and dented and punctured roofs. Some people had to run to get to safety. A video shows a man taking shelter under a car. Some other videos are circulating on Twitter. The heavy impact of the hailstones can be seen particularly well in pools, reports merkur.de.
Severe weather in Spain – Largest hailstones in 20 years
The hailstorm only lasted 10 minutes, Councilwoman Carme Vall told radio station RAC1. These were “terrible”. The hailstones reached a size of up to eleven centimeters. AFP reported that the Catalan Meteorological Office spoke of the largest hailstones to fall in the area in 20 years. The church’s glass windows were also shattered, according to photos released by City Hall.
The reason for the storm is said to be the warm Mediterranean Sea around Mallorca. The water temperatures are around 30 degrees. Temperatures found in the Caribbean that cause hurricanes. Such storms will probably occur more and more frequently in the next few years – a consequence of climate change. (vk)
