In the village of Azzano Decimo in Northern Italy, a hailstorm with a diameter of 19 cm was discovered, making it the largest hail ever recorded in Europe. This information was reported by representatives of the European Severe Weather Database (ESWD).

The hailstorm was found in Azzano Decimo less than a week after the previous European record was set. On July 19th, a hailstone with a diameter of 16 cm was discovered in the village of Carmignano di Brenta, but it held the record for only five days.

The massive hailstorm fell in Azzano Decimo on July 24th, 2023, at approximately 23:00. After a thorough analysis of reports and photographs, experts from the ESWD concluded that the diameter of this record-breaking hailstone was indeed 19 cm.

This measurement is very close to the world record for hail, which was set in Vivian, South Dakota, on July 23rd, 2010, when a hailstone with a diameter of 20.3 cm was found.

The high frequency of hailstorms in Northern Italy aligns with the findings of the European Severe Storms Laboratory (ESSL), indicating that this region has experienced the greatest increase in large hail frequency compared to other parts of Europe in recent decades.

Earlier, it was reported that Lombardy would request a state of emergency from the Italian government due to the severe storms in the northern region of the country. Additionally, a massive hailstorm occurred in the Italian region of Veneto, resulting in over a hundred people being injured.

According to Luca Zaia, the President of the region, the powerful hailstorm caused chaos, with a total of 110 people sustaining injuries from the hail, falling trees, and broken glass. The hailstones were the size of tennis balls and caused significant damage to crops in fields and orchards.

In the province of Mantua in the Lombardy region, there were also reports of strong hail, with witnesses stating that the hailstones were the size of lemons. The storm caused considerable damage to parked cars, building roofs, tiles, and photovoltaic systems installed on rooftops, as well as to crops in rural areas, particularly fruit still hanging on trees. Information about casualties was not available, but rescue teams reported damage to vegetable and agricultural crops, gardens, and vineyards.

At the same time, the southern part of the country is experiencing extreme heat. Rome broke temperature records last week, with temperatures reaching almost 42°C.

Source: The Gaze