A person holds up a hailstone during a hailstorm in Girona, Spain August 30, 2022. Sicus Carbonell via Reuters
Madrid: A 20-month old baby girl died after being hit by a massive hailstone during a fierce storm in the northeastern Spanish town of La Bisbal d’Empordà, officials said Wednesday.
Town mayor Carme Vall told Spanish National Television the baby was with her parents when she was hit by the ball of ice Tuesday. She died early Wednesday in hospital.
More than 20 people were treated for injuries after the storm. The mayor said many cars and buildings were damaged by the hail. She said that the some of the hailstones measured up to 11 centimeters (4 inches) in diameter.
Video footage on Spanish media showed the hailstones bouncing like golf balls on cars in the street.
More storms were expected in the region Wednesday. Heavy storms have been predicted for eastern Spain following severe heatwaves during the summer both on land and in the Mediterranean Sea.
