On the Role of Strong Winds in Damage to Crops by Hail and Its Estimation with a Simple Instrument

Abstract

Surface winds which accompany the fall of hail have a profound effect on crop damage. Quantitative estimates of the horizontal and total flux of hailstone kinetic energy can be made with simple theoretical considerations using data obtained from a hailcube. A hailcube is a box with aluminum foil wrapped styrofoam pads on four sides and the top. The analytical procedure for obtaining the energy estimates from cubes is described. Results show that the total kinetic energy, which includes the effect of the wind speed, can be up to five times greater than the vertical kinetic energy—the energy imparted without the effect of the wind.