Melon-sized Hailstone Claims Texas Record

During the heavy hail that hit the US state of Texas on April 28, a giant hailstone with a diameter of 16.25 cm was found among the large ice blocks falling from the sky. The non-profit insurance organization IBHS found that the ice floe weighed 567 g. After a thorough check of the data, meteorologists will announce whether this is a state record, according to The Weather Channel.

A block with sharp edges fell in the Texas city of Hondo. Experts from The Insurance Institute for Business and Safety in collaboration with scientists from the National Weather Service in San Antonio performed a three-dimensional hail scan.

Such heavy ice blocks could fall at a speed of 177-193 km/h. In some places, the hail collapsed roofs and ceilings in residential buildings.

According to historical records, the largest hail in the Texas fell on December 6, 1892 in the city of Gay Hill, Washington County, hailstones reached 15-20 cm in diameter.

The largest hailstone ever found in the United States was 20 cm wide, such hail fell in South Dakota on July 23, 2010.

On February 8, 2018, a world record of large hail with a diameter of 23.6 cm was recorded in the Argentine province of Cordoba.