A recent hailstorm in northeast Spain, characterized by giant hailstones, is believed to have been intensified by the effects of climate change. This groundbreaking study establishes a direct connection between climate change and a specific hailstorm event. Juan Jesús González-Alemán, an atmospheric scientist at the Spanish State Meteorological Agency in Madrid, highlights the significance of this finding, challenging the previous notion that climate change only impacts large-scale or global phenomena.
According to González-Alemán and his team, a record-breaking marine heat wave in the western Mediterranean Sea set the stage for these extreme hailstorms. Lasting six weeks, the heat wave raised seawater temperatures to unprecedented levels, exceeding normal temperatures by more than 3 degrees Celsius in some areas. This surge in temperature likely provided the atmosphere with additional energy and moisture, creating ideal conditions for the formation of massive hailstones.
While it may seem contradictory to associate hail, typically associated with cold temperatures, with a marine heat wave, González-Alemán explains that the storm was able to harness extra energy from the warm sea, enabling it to sustain itself at higher altitudes where temperatures drop below freezing. This allowed for the production of larger hailstones, as strong updrafts, fueled by warm sea temperatures and high humidity, kept the hail suspended in the atmosphere for longer periods, facilitating their growth within the cloud.
2024-04-30 09:00:00
Originally published on www.sciencenews.org