Anomalous hailstorm hits Grottammare on Italy's Adriatic coast

Sott.net
Wed, 26 Jul 2017 05:59 UTC

© VK.com

The beach turned white after a freak hailstorm hit Grottammare, Italy on July 25 2017.

In the early afternoon of July 25 the beach and roads of the Italian town of Grottammare were blanketed by significant amounts of hail, as reported by blitzquotidiano.it. The hail was pea to tennis ball sized according to reports. Images of the rare weather event on Italy's Adriatic coast at the end of July, were shared widely on social media.

The severe weather affected the area around San Benedetto del Tronto and Grottammare where torrential rainfall was accompanied by violent wind bursts.

© VK.com

The powerful storm swept between San Benedetto del Tronto and Grottammare in Italy.

Another hailstorm between Astigiano and Alessandrino in northern Italy occurred on the previous day.

Comment: Some other severe hailstorms from around the world in recent months include:

• Torrential downpours of rain and huge hail hit northern Spain
• 'Pretty crazy': Hail as big as billiard balls batter Evansburg, Alberta
• Exceptional hailstorm hits Girona, Spain (VIDEOS)
• Huge hail pounds central US
• At $1.4 billion, recent hailstorm could be most expensive in Colorado history
• Lanzarote in the Canary Islands turns white after freak hail shower
• Unusual hailstorm blankets Central Mexican city with up to 50 centimeters of ice
• Freak hailstorm rips through town in New South Wales, Australia
• Freak hailstorm hits drought stricken Bloemfontein, South Africa
• Mounds of hail pile up after storm pounds Safford, Arizona

It is likely that atmospheric dust loading from increased comet and volcanic activity is contributing to these 'anomalous' or 'freak' hailstorms, the cooling effect of which causes ice crystals to form.