A devastating hailstorm in Lleida, Catalonia, wiped out 50,000 hectares (about 123,553 acres) of crops, reported Catalan News.
What's happening?
Fruit trees and grains were among the crops obliterated by a swift and deadly April hailstorm. This extreme weather reduced farmers' yields to a fraction of their usual output.
Salvador Nadal, a local farmer, told Catalan News, "We are sad and disappointed that all the efforts made throughout the year result in this."
Fruitnet reported that an estimated 90% of fruit crops were lost in l'Horta d'Alcarràs, a region within Lleida. Pere Roqué, the president of Asaja, an agricultural organization, told Fruitnet that this storm could not only lead to widespread crop loss but job loss as well.
Why does this hailstorm matter?
As proven in Lleida, extreme weather events can and do damage crop yields. This has been a major cause of global food inflation in recent years, as crop production declines and temperatures rise.
Unfortunately, this hailstorm is just one of many that have been pelting Spain. In 2022, ScienceNews reported that huge balls of hail rained down on La Bisbal d'Empordà. They were about five inches wide, a size that scientists deemed impossible in preindustrial times.
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These increasingly intense storms aren't just flukes. They are a critical climate issue, caused by planet-warming pollution.
While major storms and natural disasters are common phenomena, rising global temperatures have rapidly worsened them, making them increasingly difficult to deal with.
What's being done about it?
According to Catalan News, the farmers' trade union is trying to secure financial aid from the Catalan government. With the money, they would install anti-hail nets to protect their crops. At the time of writing, the funds have not yet been secured.
If you would like to help on an individual level, consider donating money to climate causes.
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