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Tuesday, June 21, while many departments are dealing with the damage caused by hailstorms, the intensity of these episodes worries. If they are usual at this season, they could become more frequent due to global warming.
Hailstones the size of a tennis ball or like a hand fell Monday, June 20, during violent storms. Why do these hail episodes seem to be increasing? Hail peaks traditionally occur between May and July, when cumulonimbus clouds are heaviest. These clouds, responsible for thunderstorms, can measure up to 15 kilometers in height. Inside, dust particles, surrounded by water, will rise and fall and become charged with ice.
The thunderstorms of the past few days were caused by a cold drop. It is a bubble of cold air at an altitude of 5,000 meters, which collides with the warm air accumulated on the ground. “The greater the temperature contrast, the stronger these storms will be”, explains Ludovic Lagrange, meteorologist. According to scientists, global warming will accelerate the trend. “A frequency increased by 30%, an intensity increased on average by 10% to 15%”assures Jean Jouzel, climatologist and former member of the IPCC.
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