Hailstone the size of a pineapple discovered in Texas by storm chasers

A colossal hailstone that could set a new record for Texas was retrieved by storm trackers in the Texas Panhandle. The veteran storm-chasing duo, Val and Amy Castor from KWTV in Oklahoma City, stumbled upon the giant hail measuring over 7 inches (17.78 centimeters) in length on Sunday. They found it near Vigo Park while tracking a significant thunderstorm system.

Val Castor compared the size of the hail to a pineapple and expressed his astonishment. "That's the biggest hail I've ever seen, and I've been chasing storms for more than 30 years," he remarked.

During his drive, Castor witnessed several baseball-sized hail stones plummeting down, one of which even cracked his windshield. It was then that he noticed the enormous hailstone lying in a ditch by the roadside. "I could see it from probably 100 yards away," Castor recalled, reports CTV News.

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This massive hailstone is anticipated to break the state record, surpassing a 6.4-inch (16.25-centimetre) hailstone discovered in Hondo in 2021. However, its status as a record-breaker must be verified by a team of researchers, including the Texas state climatologist, explained Jordan Salem, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Lubbock.

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The United States heaviest recorded hail stone boasted an 11-inch (27.94 centimeters) diameter and weighed almost 2 pounds (907 grams). This hefty hail fell near Vivian, South Dakota, back in July 2010, as per the National Centers for Environmental Information records.

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