Heavy rainfall and hail in the provinces of Alicante and Murcia in the third week of April has severely affected crops – with farmers still counting the costs of damage.
Concern has been aired amongst farmers about the effect on table grapes with
hail damaging vegetable crops, along with shoots damage.
Harvesting of artichoke, cauliflower and damage to fig trees and pomegranates has occurred.
In Murcia hailstorms have damaged a plethora of crops, including to peach, plum, nectarine and pear crops, with farmers in Cieza severely hit.
“The high intensity hail has caused fruit breakage and damage to trees – some farms have one hundred percent damage to crops,” said an agricultural and livestock organisation UPA spokesperson.
Hailstorms also damaged crops in Cartagena and Los Alcázares.
During the storms hundreds of lightning strikes in the province of Alicante were recorded by the observation of the Climatology Laboratory of the University of Alicante.
Storms formed a large marine sleeve on the Torrevieja Coast.
Aemet reported intense rainfall and storms put Valencia on a yellow warning in the Alicante and Murcia provinces, with 20 litres per square metre in one hour hitting Mazarrón.
Caption: Heavy hailstorms severely affected crops.
