Are hailstones getting bigger due to climate change?
Recent hailstorms have caused significant damage to vineyards in France, particularly affecting Christian Dyckerhoff's estate. The storms have resulted in broken branches and a projected 50% loss of this year's harvest. This trend raises concerns about the increasing severity of hailstorms, potentially linked to climate change.
- ▪Christian Dyckerhoff's vineyard was severely damaged by hail on May 3, 2022.
- ▪The vineyard is located in the Cher department of France, near the Indre border.
- ▪Hailstorms have also affected hundreds of hectares east of Bordeaux and in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques region.
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A vineyard damaged by a hailstorm in Le Frêche, Landes, France, June 5, 2022. PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP Hail devastated part of Christian Dyckerhoff's vineyard in a matter of minutes. The result: broken branches, fallen inflorescences. On May 3, the winegrower discovered his 8-hectare estate covered in a carpet of white pellets. It was a major blow for the vineyard, located on the slopes bordering the Arnon River in the Cher department of France, near the Indre border. "At first, you feel really down, then you take a step back," said the winemaker, who, together with his wife, produces three grape varieties (pinot noir, pinot gris and sauvignon blanc) under the Reuilly AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, a French certification granted to certain wines).
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Le Monde (EN).
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