Giant Hailstone Hits Plumstead
The weather in Britain, though generally temperate, has its moments, and the hailstorm that hit Plumstead on July 5 1925 was surely one. Among many large hailstones one was found that weighed half a pound. Such an object would have been travelling at more than 100mph, and had it hit a person would have spoiled their day terminally. Even the trusty talisman of a stout umbrella would have been useless against such a missile.
We grumble about our weather constantly, and such events add to the feeling of being ill-served by it, but to put it into perspective: the heaviest hailstone ever to fall to earth was a whopping 2.25lb, recorded during a 1986 storm over the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh. That storm killed 92 people.
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