hailstorm

A hailstorm is more than cold rain. It is a storm that drops small or large balls of ice, called hail, from the sky. You can picture a warm afternoon suddenly turning dark as hard bits of ice start striking the windows. Some are tiny and do little harm, while others are big enough to dent cars, break glass, and ruin crops. These storms usually form inside strong thunderstorms, most often in spring and summer.

Sometimes, we use "hailstorm" figuratively to describe a sudden, overwhelming burst of something unpleasant. For instance, a politician might face a "hailstorm of criticism" after a controversial decision, meaning they were bombarded by many harsh comments all at once.

A hailstorm is a kind of storm in which pieces of ice, called hail, fall from the sky. Unlike sleet, which usually forms when raindrops freeze as they fall through cold air, hail forms high inside tall thunderstorm clouds. Strong upward winds lift water droplets into very cold air, where they freeze. As they move around inside the cloud, more water freezes onto them in layers until the pieces of ice become too heavy and fall to the ground.

Hailstones can be as small as peas or as large as grapefruits. A serious hailstorm can damage roofs, windows, cars, and fields in only a few minutes. The danger depends on the size of the hail, how much falls, and how fast the wind drives it. In places where farming matters, one strong storm can destroy crops very quickly.

Beyond the weather report, the term is a popular metaphor for any intense, battering onslaught. You might encounter a "hailstorm of bullets" in an action novel or a "hailstorm of questions" during a heated press conference. Whether literal or figurative, a hailstorm signifies an intense, sudden, and often damaging downpour that demands immediate cover.