Chiang Mai And Chiang Rai See Rare Hail Storms

[webfact]

Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai see rare hail storms

BANGKOK, 4 February 2013 (NNT) - Several areas in the provinces of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai experienced hail storms following heavy rains Sunday evening.

Hail storm was reported in the district of Wieng Haeng and Doi Saket in Chiang Mai province yesterday. According to Chiang Mai's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Director Komsan Suwan-ampha, some of the hailstones in Wieng Haeng were about the size of chicken eggs. Houses, farms, and garlic farms in particular have been reported to be damaged by the hail. The areas had never seen a hail for over 40 years. In Doi Saket, roads were reportedly covered with white ice pellets.

newsjs

Heavy rains also hit the districts of Muang, Mae Chan, Mae Sai, Phan and Mae Fah Luang, Chiang Rai Province. Some of these areas also saw hail storms, of which the largest was in Mae Fah Luang. Chiang Rai Governor Pongsak Wangsamur said he had ordered disaster relief personnel to survey the damage and offer aide to people in need.

-- NNT 2013-02-04

[laislica]

We had a similar problem in the south east of Spain in 2005.

People were hurt by the large chunks of ice that fell.

However, the report only mentions "things" being damaged and thankfully, not people.

[krisb]

Really!, I didnt think it got that cold up there.

Sounds like hail damaged cars going cheap perhaps?

[Locationthailand]

Global warming again???

[Brunovski]

Really!, I didnt think it got that cold up there.

Sounds like hail damaged cars going cheap perhaps?

It doesn't need to be under zero to have hail. It's a particular weather situation.

[oilreg]

quite a few roofs didnt survive that, the hail was in snowball size

Edited February 4, 2013 by oilreg

[pgrahmm]

If you are unlucky enough to have an unprotected car out in a BIG hail storm it looks like a golf ball with dimples all over it........

[rijb]

We had a little smaller than ping pong ball size hail last night. But, neither rain nor hail nor snow(?) stops the burning. It just makes more smoke!

Location: Mae Chan, 30 minutes north of Chiang Rai and 30 minutes south of Mae Sai

Edited February 4, 2013 by rijb

[KunMatt]

Global warming again???

Sounds like climate change, whether it's other factors in Thailand I have no idea - but globally, according to the data, we about to experience a Maunder Minimum which means we could be on the brink of a Little Ice Age very soon.

Edited February 4, 2013 by KunMatt

[annabel]

Global warming again???

Sounds like climate change, whether it's other factors in Thailand I have no idea - but globally, according to the data, we about to experience a Maunder Minimum which means we could be on the brink of a Little Ice Age very soon.

Certainly wasn't cold in CM as it has been in previous years or very far from it... so don't know where that Ice Age concept is coming from but I would have liked for it to be a little colder and last a little longer... seems like it's already over and that summer is yet again kicking in .... quite hot in the afternoons for the past 2 weeks

[robenroute]

It doesn't need to be under zero to have hail. It's a particular weather situation.

Hail can indeed fall in areas where temperatures are far above zero C. However, as hail is ice, either the air where the hail is formed (high up in the atmosphere) is definitely below zero C (and hail can form in clouds saturated with water vapour when these clouds enter this cold layer), or the water in the clouds is supercooled (below zero C). When supercooled water comes into contact with dust particles, the water freezes instantly.

[Sandman77]

Now the best part of the story come I called my collage in lamphun living here 12 year!

Never got any hail in february!

Today clear sky you here the animals no rain in Chiang Mai and lampoon today!

So this is one of the most funny untrue

News report ever heard !

Just found massage in the mailnews and search here on board for hail to find this topic!

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[Fanlight Fanny]

Well, it most certainly did hail like hell just outside Lamphun. I was driving in the early evening to Chiang Mai and was hit by a fusillade of bullets. The noise on the roof was terrific for about ten minutes.

I just assumed at the time that the police were targeting another farang. It was actually quite dangerous to drive through.