A scientific study warns that climate change will increase the size of hailstones in areas far from the equator. Warmer air retains more moisture, fueling more intense storms. This means cars, roofs, and crops will suffer greater damage. In the tropics, however, the heat melts small hail before it reaches the ground, reducing the risk.
Technology and insurance against giant hail đŠī¸
To mitigate damage, more impact-resistant construction materials are already being developed, such as reinforced polymer tiles and solar panels with tempered glass. Parametric insurance is also advancing, which pays out automatically when a hail size threshold detected by radar is exceeded. In the future, vehicles could include lightweight alloy bodywork designed to absorb impacts without denting, reducing repair shop bills.
The sky is throwing ice cubes at us with a vengeance đ§
Nature has decided that, in addition to sweating like chickens in summer, we now have to dodge stones the size of golf balls. Now we'll have to park the car under a bridge every time it thunders, or invest in a helmet to walk the dog. That said, at least in the tropics they'll be spared the scare: the hail melts before it arrives, like a lemon ice forgotten on the sidewalk.