Global warming means fewer ice hazards, right? Not so fast, Jack Frost.
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Hailstorms are among the costliest weather disasters. They can destroy crops, vehicles, and rooftops. So what happens to hail in a warmer world?
Enter Shiyi Zhang and team from Beijing University. Using climate projections and hail-growth simulations, they investigated how future atmospheric conditions could affect hail size.
In warm weather, large hailstones ACTUALLY become much more common. Why? Warmer air holds more moisture. That extra moisture can fuel stronger winds, suspending hailstones longer and letting them grow bigger before falling.
Yet another reason to take climate action: or else we’re all going to HAIL in a handbasket!
Zhang, S., Zhang, Q., Allen, J.T. et al. Rising global hail damage potential in a warming world. Nature 653, 1069–1077 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10543-2