Climate Change Increases Hail Size

A new study published in the journal 'Nature (journal)' indicates that a warmer world, driven by climate change from fossil fuel burning, will lead to bigger and more damaging hail. Global storms producing hail larger than a marble are projected to increase by 38% to 47% by the end of the century, while smaller hail events will decrease. 'John Allen (meteorologist)', a co-author from 'University of Michigan', noted that hail already costs the 'United States' about $10 billion annually and $80 billion globally, surpassing damage from tornadoes and multiple hurricanes. The increase in larger hailstones is attributed to more water vapor in a warmer atmosphere, leading to stronger updrafts in thunderstorms. Regions like 'Argentina', 'Europe', 'Canada', and the 'United States' Northern Plains are expected to see the most significant increases in large hail. The study emphasizes that disaster losses are also influenced by human factors like building practices and land use.