Science Source
Climate change and hailstorm damage: Empirical evidence and implications for agriculture and insurance
- States there is much uncertainty about the effects of anthropogenic climate change on the frequency and severity of extreme weather events like hailstorms, and subsequent economic losses
- States that hailstorm damage may increase in the future if global warming leads to further temperature increase
- Investigates the relationship between insured hailstorm damage to agriculture and several temperature and precipitation indicators for the Netherlands
- Finds that a combination of maximum temperatures and precipitation predicts hailstorm damage best
- Estimates that by 2050 annual hailstorm damage to outdoor farming could increase by between 25% and 50%, with considerably larger impacts on greenhouse horticulture in summer of more than 200%
