A hailstorm is a type of precipitation in which ice pellets (hailstones) fall from the sky during thunderstorms, especially from Cumulonimbus Clouds.

• They are most common in the midlatitudes.

Conditions For  Formation

• Presence of intense thunderstorms
• Strong vertical air currents (updrafts)
• Freezing temperatures at upper levels
• High moisture content

Hailstorm Forming Process

• Hail forms inside Cumulonimbus Clouds, which are tall clouds with strong winds.
• Strong upward winds (updrafts) carry tiny water droplets high into the cloud.
• At high altitude, temperature is very low → droplets freeze into small ice particles.
• These ice particles move up and down inside the cloud and collect more water → layers of ice form.
• Hailstones keep growing as more ice is added.
• When they become too heavy for the updraft to hold, they fall as hailstones.

Impact

• Crop damage , infrastructure damage and loss of lives.

Source: Down To Earth