The hailstorm on Tuesday afternoon damaged between 40% and 60% of approximately 2,030 hectares of crops in the Lleida plain, according to initial estimates from the Department of Agriculture. The episode affected farms in Segrià, Les Garrigues, and the south of Pla d'Urgell after crossing the area around seven in the evening.
The most striking fact is that the season already has three days with hail in the monitoring area of the Associació de Defensa Vegetal de les Terres de Ponent, although the Department of Agriculture downplays the extent of the storm, defining it as a moderate and very localized episode. Despite this assessment, the hail caused significant damage to thousands of hectares and hit several farms without anti-hail nets.
The hail crossed Segrià and reached Les Garrigues and Pla d'Urgell
The storm moved from east to west through Segrià and then reached Les Garrigues and the south of Pla d'Urgell. On its way, it left intense showers and hail about one centimeter in diameter.
Among the affected crops are nectarines, apricots, apples, pears, cereals, and corn. The Department of Agriculture places the damage at a range of 40% to 60% over an approximate area of 2,030 hectares.
The incidence was not uniform. The Associació de Defensa Vegetal de les Terres de Ponent confirmed damage to farms without anti-hail nets in Soses, Torres de Segre, Puigverd de Lleida, and Artesa de Lleida.
Farms without protection concentrated damage in eight municipalities
The same entity also noted damage in Miralcamp, el Palau d'Anglesola, Juneda, and Bovera. The list of municipalities outlines a strip connecting farms in three counties in a single afternoon of storms.
Given the magnitude of the affected area, the Department of Agriculture classifies the episode as less severe than the hailstorms of April last year. Its initial assessment considers it a moderate and very localized phenomenon within the recent incidents in the Lleida plain.
With Tuesday's event, the current season already accumulates three days with hail in the study area of the Associació de Defensa Vegetal de les Terres de Ponent.