Bangladesh experienced a prolonged heatwave throughout April this year, unlike in previous years. After intense heatwave rain brings relief to people. Meteorologists have already expressed concerns about higher rainfall, thunderstorms, and hailstorms this year.
People have already witnessed multiple hailstorms in various places nationwide this year. Following the intense heatwave, the rain brings great relief to the people. Rain is always a joy for nature lovers, and hail adds an extra element of joy to the rainfall.
However, while rain provides relief from the heat, hail can cause significant damage to crops. Many people also enjoy eating hailstones. The question arises: If hailstones damage crops, could consuming them also harm the human body?
Researchers say that eating hailstones is not safe at all. They explain that hailstones contain various pollutants which are harmful to the human body.
Recently, research led by Professor Abdus Salam of the Chemistry Department at Dhaka University found that hailstones contain nitrates, among other harmful substances. These substances are also present in water, but their concentration in hailstones is beyond safe levels.
Professor Abdus Salam told the media that hail formation begins with ice nucleation. The air's various pollutants act as ice nuclei, meaning they serve as seeds for the ice formation. As the pollution particles serve as seeds, the ice grows around them. This ice then combines with other water condensates to form hail. When the hail is light, it floats in the air, and when it becomes heavy, it falls to the ground.
If people consume this, the pollution enters the body. That's why eating hail is not advisable. There are 40 parameters that make any drinkable substance safe. Hail does not fulfil these parameters because it originates from pollution seeds, the researcher added.
So, no matter how nostalgic or joyful seeing hail might make someone feel, no one should not eat it. It is especially important to ensure that children do not consume hail.
According to the National Severe Storms Laboratory's website in the US, the primary cause of hail is the intense temperature at the earth's surface. Due to the heat, water vapour rises towards the upper atmosphere, where it turns into small ice particles in the colder air. These ice particles combine with nearby raindrops and other pieces of ice, growing larger and heavier until their weight causes them to fall along with the rain as hail.