Preliminary on-site assessments in Segrià after Monday afternoon's hailstorm indicate that crop damage will be minor. This is partly because most stone fruit has already been harvested, and around 70% of pears have been collected. Technicians from the Terres de Ponent Plant Defense Group (ADV) are reviewing hail gauge data.
Initial hail gauge readings show the fall of hailstones of considerable size, comparable to quail eggs, but with very low frequency. In areas with more impact, the stones were small, and the fields had already been harvested. In addition to agricultural impact, the hail caused some damage to a roof at the Cooperativa d’Almenar.
“"When it hit the ground, it disintegrated very easily. There were large stones, but few, and the small ones were rather soft."
Elisabet Porta, a technician with Terres de Ponent ADV, noted that some farmers observed the hailstones breaking apart easily upon contact with the ground. The combination of these factors, along with the limited amount of fruit remaining on trees, means this hailstorm, the eighth of the year and initially predicted to be the most severe, has had a minimal impact so far.
At the Cooperativa d’Almenar, located in the upper part of the town, one of the roofs of a grain storage facility sustained perforations from the hail. Cooperative officials have stressed the need for prompt repairs, as more produce will be brought in soon, and water leaks must be prevented.
Almenar recorded the largest ice fragments, exceeding two centimeters in diameter. The hail also affected other municipalities such as Corbins, Albatàrrec, and parts of Horta de Lleida.
