Climate change may bring larger hailstones to Northern Europe

A new study warns that warming temperatures could lead to larger hailstones in Northern Europe and other regions far from the equator. Stronger storms and increased atmospheric moisture create conditions for giant hail to form. The trend poses growing risks to infrastructure and agriculture across the region.

A new scientific study warns that climate change may bring larger hailstones to Northern Europe and other regions far from the equator, even if hailstorms do not necessarily become more frequent overall.

The research highlights that warming temperatures are creating conditions — stronger storms and more moisture in the atmosphere — that favour the formation of giant hailstones. Northern Europe is identified as one of the regions most at risk from this trend.

Scientists note that warmer air holds more water vapour, which can fuel the powerful updrafts inside thunderstorms needed to grow unusually large hail. As the climate continues to warm, these dynamics are expected to intensify, particularly at higher latitudes that have historically seen less severe hail.

The findings suggest that infrastructure, agriculture, and populations across Scandinavia and the broader Northern European region may need to prepare for a new kind of weather threat — one that has traditionally been associated more with tropical and subtropical zones.