How to know if it will hail

[Kebab5]

Hi folks,

I'm not an expert so for me it is difficult to interpret all the values I see in the app but I'm specifically interested in knowing the probability of hail. I've read that some numbers may mean severe storms including hail but I couldn't really understand how to read the data in the app. I think it would be nice to have a map that shows hail forecast but I'm not sure if this is scientifically possible. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[idefix37]

@kebab5
Yes, it’s very difficult to predict hail, and there is not such possibility on Windy, or at least not directly.
Hail is linked to very strong thunderstorms. So you can use the Thunderstorm layer to estimate the risk of such storm in your area during the day.

One or two hour before you may have a look at Satellite Infra+ layer. The colorised clouds indicate the temperature of cloud tops. The colder they are (colorised in deep red, sign of danger) the highest they are. And the highest are generally Cumulonimbus ones, which are the clouds which generate hail.

In addition you should listen to your local and official weather advisories.

[petra.pik]

Hi @kebab5, you can also check the layer 'Precip. type'. The brown color indicates hail/ice pellets.

[idefix37]

@petra-pik
Sorry Petra, but ice pellets are different from hail.
Hail is produced during thunderstorms in hot season, whereas ice pellets are observed in colder seasons, sometime during convective snow precipitation.
http://www.anti-grele.fr/en/anatomy/

At the moment in north hemisphere, you do NOT see ice pellets in the Precipitation types layer in the areas where there are heavy thunderstorms and hail. Ice pellets are only seen this week in cold zones, in high latitudes (65°N and more) or in Tibet, where there are cold precipitations like snow, freezing rain…

[melanie75]

@kebab5 said in How to know if it will hail:

Hi @wordle game

I'm not an expert so for me it is difficult to interpret all the values I see in the app but I'm specifically interested in knowing the probability of hail. I've read that some numbers may mean severe storms including hail but I couldn't really understand how to read the data in the app. I think it would be nice to have a map that shows hail forecast but I'm not sure if this is scientifically possible. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I also wonder if hail can damage farmers. So what can they do to prevent this?

[petra.pik]

@idefix37 thank you for the explanation :)

[Gkikas LGPZ]

@kebab5
If in USA, then https://mrms.nssl.noaa.gov/qvs/product_viewer/
In general you may expect hail if in radar you see echoes with dBZ more than 50

[Gkikas LGPZ]

@melanie75
In Greece, and in some other countries, we use "hail nets"

Also, the Greek Agricultural Insurance Organization runs a
Hail Suppression Program with Airborne Means.
The Program is based on the conceptual model of "Beneficial Competition", introducing artificial
nuclei in the hailstorms that compete with the natural ones for the available supercooled water,
forming smaller hailstones, thus increasing the possibility to melt during their fall, reaching the
ground as rain.

[idefix37]

@gkikas-lgpz
In France hail nets are used too, in fruit trees plantations.

Are you using cloud seeding with silver iodide or other chemical as explained here:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_seeding
I don’t think it is used in France.

Here there are people using locally hail cannon:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hail_cannon

But difficult to prove that it works very well.

[Gkikas LGPZ]

@idefix37
We use seeding of Silver Iodide (AgI) or dry ice from aircrafts to the target area.
For more info:

https://www.3dsa.gr/en/activities-en/weather-modification

[idefix37]

@gkikas-lgpz
Interesting, so in Greece they use the same technology to increase rainfall ? I heard the Chineses carry a similar program for rain too.
In France in some vineyards and fruit trees plantations they use anti-hail rockets but not planes.

[Kebab5]

@idefix37 Thank you for the information! I believe the Satellite Infra+ layer is the one I can see when I go to Menu>More Layers>Satellite>More in the bottom>IR.

@petra-pik thank you for the point on 'Precip. type'. I was also initially thinking that it would give an idea.

[idefix37]

@kebab5 said in How to know if it will hail:

I believe the Satellite Infra+ layer is the one I can see when I go to Menu>More Layers>Satellite>More in the bottom>IR.

Yes, select Infra+

Risk of hail is shown by red / dark red top clouds

[Gkikas LGPZ]

@idefix37
Back in the 90's we run a rain enhancement project
but the effectiveness was questionable.
.
Yesterday's hail as seen from wx. radar south of Larissa
and the flight path of aircraft for hail suppression .

[mytom2]

@melanie75 said in How to know if it will hail:

@kebab5 said in How to know if it will hail:

Hi @wordle online

I'm not an expert so for me it is difficult to interpret all the values I see in the app but I'm specifically interested in knowing the probability of hail. I've read that some numbers may mean severe storms including hail but I couldn't really understand how to read the data in the app. I think it would be nice to have a map that shows hail forecast but I'm not sure if this is scientifically possible. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I think we need to depend on the hydrometeorological center to know exactly about the weather.

[laura79]

@Gkikas-LGPZ eso es una excelente idea👏