Extreme weather conditions can often lead to extreme outcomes.One such outcome is a hailstorm. Though hailstorms of any proportion can cause a significant negative impact, the dimension of some hailstones has exceeded all the normal limits.The current world record for the largest hail belongs to Vivian in South Dakota, where hailstones measuring 8 in (20.3 cm) in diameter fell from the sky. This incident occurred in 2010 and was paired with a severe storm and rainfall. In later years, other parts of the world have also witnessed hail storms of enormous proportions. However, the two contenders for South Dakota’s title are Argentina and Libya, where hailstones of diameters 9.3 in (23.6 cm) and larger than 8 in (20.3 cm) had been observed in 2018 and 2020, respectively. Unfortunately, these measurements could not be confirmed.While no person in these three places died from the hail to date, several people have been killed by severe hailstorms. Countries like China and India are particularly susceptible to hailstorms.Learn more interesting facts about the biggest hail in the world! You can also check out the biggest blizzard and biggest blizzard in the world. Baffling Facts About Biggest Hail In The WorldWhen talking about the biggest hail, it is essential to mention three of the deadliest hailstorms on record, which produced hails of massive sizes. These extreme events occurred in South Dakota, Argentina, and Libya.On July 23, 2010, South Dakota witnessed one of the most severe cases of hailstorms. The storm started with a severe thunderstorm that was mainly centered around the central part of South Dakota. However, soon enough, the thunderstorm gained significant speed and momentum, turning into supercell thunderstorms, traveling to other parts of the region. Unfortunately, the community of Vivian in South Dakota was affected the worst. Not only did they have to face severe winds from the storms, but they also had to encounter the largest hailstones to have ever been documented till that point. Each of the giant hailstones measured 8 in (20.3 cm) in diameter. Additionally, the weight of this large hailstone was around 2 lb (1 kg).However, the heaviest hailstone to date is a hailstone recovered in Bangladesh on April 14, 1986, which measured 2.25 lb (1.02 kg). The incident in South Dakota was one of the rare cases in the country and broke the world record for the largest hail and also holds the current record.Over the years, Argentina has been receiving some of the largest hailstones, leading to researchers giving the name “gargantuan” to the hailstones that are greater than 6 in (15.2 cm) in size. While there are several recorded events of the gargantuan hail in Argentina, the world record for the biggest hailstone was surpassed by this country when in 2018, a hailstone measuring nearly 9.3 in (23.6 cm) across fell in a town called Villa Carlos Paz. However, this hail size is yet to be confirmed as the largest by researchers.Much more recently, on October 27, 2020, Libya witnessed one of its costliest hailstorm events. Hailstone fell in the city of Tripoli due to severe weather and a supercell thunderstorm. The supercell storm created the perfect situation for hailstones having a diameter larger than 8 in (20.3 cm) to fall on the city. This was certainly the largest hailstone and deadliest hailstorm in Libyan history. Such extreme events are not that common in the Libyan climate.Puzzling Facts About Biggest Hail In The WorldHailstones are a kind of solid precipitation that usually occur during storms that have high upward wind speeds. While hailstones rarely exceed more than 6 in (15.2 cm) in diameter, the “gargantuan hail” that fell near Vivian, South Dakota, and in later years in Argentina and Libya, have led to further atmospheric research into why such high impact events occur.Overall, the reason for the formation of a hailstone is quite simple. Severe storms along with upward wind with high water content cause hail to form in the extreme upper end of the clouds. In such cases, whenever the first frozen droplet begins to fall down, the winds of the storm push it back up, where more ice is added all around it. Eventually, either due to becoming too heavy or the loss of winds, the hail falls downwards.Researchers have spent considerable time trying to understand the factors that produce gargantuan hail. The severe hailstorm in Argentina, which was caused due to a supercell storm, has been a well observed case for the very same reason.Radar observations have shown that supercell storms produce strong winds that not only rotate but have very speeding updrafts. Hence, such storms become the basis for severe hailstones, as witnessed in Argentina, Libya, and South Dakota. However, what remains to be puzzling is the unpredictability of the gargantuan hail.Ghastly Facts About Biggest Hail In The WorldGiven the nature of the hailstone that fell in South Dakota, Argentina, and Libya, the after-effects were surely ghastly. While it is not possible to undo the damage, it is worth learning about to get a clearer understanding of the deadly gargantuan hailstone.In South Dakota, nearly 55 homes were left damaged due to the hailstones. Additionally, one particular home was affected the worst and had over 25 holes in its roof, all thanks to the astronomical hail size. Fortunately, there was no mortality. Given the size of one hailstone that was preserved by a local resident, scientists estimated the wind speed of the storm must have been between 160-180 mph (257.5-289.7 kph). So, you can only imagine how destructive this hailstorm was.Coming to Argentina, though there was no mortality recorded, the hailstorm did leave behind a trail of destruction. In general, a hailstone that is the size of about a quarter or 1 in (2.5 cm) is capable of putting dents in cars and destroying roofs. The largest hailstone that fell in Argentina was estimated to have a diameter of 9.3 in (23.6 cm), more than nine times a quarter hailstone. So, the city not only had broken windows and damaged roofs, but the hailstones also left cavities in the ground.In Libya, the after-effects were similar to that of South Dakota and Argentina. A lot of the local residents shared pictures of damaged cars on their social media. The cars had not only broken windshields but also huge dents all over their surface. In addition to the large hail, there was also an exceptionally strong storm and torrential rainfall, which further aggravated the damages that were caused.Insightful Facts About Biggest Hail In The WorldWhile gargantuan hail has never been the norm, with the recent increase in hailstorms featuring exceptionally large hailstones, scientists and researchers have begun to assume that hail of such dimensions are not that rare or uncommon. Hence, a number of safety measures and guidelines have been established for people to follow.One of the essential things to do is to stay indoors. As you can already tell, it is not even safe to sit inside cars while hailstones of such enormous dimensions are falling from the sky. In all three cases of South Dakota, Argentina, and Libya, the hail severely damaged all kinds of automobiles. So, it is safe to assume that some hail can put dents in cars and even break windshields quite effectively.It is also important to stay mindful of the weather and any adverse developments. As you already know by now, most of these gargantuan hail incidents were the result of a supercell storm. While supercell storms are highly uncommon, they do occur when the weather conditions are just right. Fortunately, such a storm can be predicted beforehand, so it is best to keep checking weather updates in case the weather around you is worsening over time.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for the biggest hail in the world then why not take a look at the biggest flood ever, or the biggest freshwater lake in the world?
Extreme weather conditions can often lead to extreme outcomes.
