Baby killed by giant hailstone during freak storm in Spain

The 20-month-old was struck on the head as giant hailstones fell from the sky
Hailstorm in Girona
A person holds up a hailstone during a violent hailstorm in Girona, Spain, on August 30
Sicus Carbonell via REUTERS
Lydia Chantler-Hicks31 August 2022

A baby has died after being struck by a giant hailstone during a freak storm in Spain.

The 20-month-old is said to have been hit on the head by a ball of ice measuring 10cm across on Tuesday evening, before dying in hospital the following day, local news outlets report.

The incident happened during a violent storm in the city of Girona, in Catalonia.

Catalonian newspaper el Periodico reported the child had been in an outdoor courtyard at home with her father on Tuesday, when she was struck on the head.

News outlet Murcia Today said the girl was hit by a hailstone “measuring more than 10cm in diameter”.

El Periodico reports that 67 people have been treated for injuries following the storm, most of them for minor bruises.

The hailstorm is the latest in a period of extreme weather for Spain, which has been ravaged by an intense heatwave and wildfires in recent months.

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