MADRID – Historic hailstorms hit parts of Spain in mid-June, with hailstones as large as ping-pong balls reported in the Valencia, León, and Madrid regions. The last remnants of the low-pressure system Óscar unleashed these unusual hailstorms, causing widespread flooding and severe weather conditions.
Catalonia and the Valencia region were the hardest hit, experiencing hailstorms and heavy rain that resulted in flooding in Terrassa and Orihuela, as well as road closures in Girona and Barcelona. However, many other regions also experienced hailstorms, including Murcia and León.
Furthermore, significant rainfall was recorded across most of the country, with 50.2 litres per square metre in Sopeira, Huesca, and 49 litres in Cabrales, Asturias. In addition to these impressive figures, the extreme weather events also created surprising visuals.
Hail in the Valencia region
On Tuesday afternoon, a storm front with intense lightning activity swept across the entire Valencia region. The rainfall was generally heavy, short-lived, and occasionally accompanied by hail. In Orihuela (Alicante), 23.6 litres per square metre were recorded, with almost all of it (20 litres) falling within just ten minutes, according to data from the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet). The storms also brought rainfall amounts of 29.4 litres per square metre in Altura, 28.4 in La Pobla de Vallbona, 26.1 in L’Eliana, and 19.4 in Bétera. Additionally, accumulations reached 69.3 litres in Benilloba, 40.4 in Elche, and 32.4 in Xàtiva.
Ping-pong ball-sized hailstones
In Villanueva de Viver, Castellón, hailstones the size of ping-pong balls pounded the area, leaving residents astonished. Valencia Weather shared photos of these large hailstones taken by José Manuel Díaz on their Twitter account.
ESPECTACULAR como pelotas de ⚾️, #VillanuevaDeViver #Castellón
Autor: José Manuel Díaz @AEMET_SINOBAS @AEMET_CValencia @alexmegapc @tiempobrasero @MeteoredES @JuanjoVillena @minervagra @RAM_meteo @ElTiempoes @ElTiempo_tve @meteo_cs @Hardacho @albertonina86 @Supercelulas pic.twitter.com/ODg6CwmSrm
— ValènciaWeather⚡️ (@Valencia_WX) June 13, 2023
Historic hailstorm in Pola de Gordón
The town of Pola de Gordón in the province of León was hit by a historic hailstorm on Tuesday afternoon. The hail was so intense that the streets of the town turned completely white. Furthermore, the hailstorm was accompanied by heavy rainfall, causing damage to the local health centre.
Hailstorm in Torrejón
Torrejón, located in the Madrid region, also experienced a significant hailstorm. Telemadrid shared a video by @migueeeelgiiil on their Twitter account, showing the hailfall. An orange weather alert was activated in the region due to the predicted intense storms. The regional civil security service, ASEM 112, advised pedestrians and drivers to exercise caution during such meteorological phenomena.
🌧 Tremenda la granizada que acaba de caer en #Torrejón 😯 #tormenta
📌La información del tiempo: https://t.co/6u5EGarBYT
📱Vídeo de @migueeeelgiiil pic.twitter.com/MVI7nU8d6d
— Telemadrid (@telemadrid) June 13, 2023
Orange weather warning for Mallorca and Menorca
On Wednesday, weather warnings remain in effect only for the islands of Mallorca and Menorca. Menorca is under an orange weather warning due to heavy rain and thunderstorms. For Mallorca, an orange weather warning is in effect for the north coast, while the rest of the island is under a yellow warning due to storms and rain.
Also read: Heavy rainfall and storms cause cars to be trapped and schools closed
