The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Monday, April 1 said occurrences of hail are possible this warm and dry season.

PAGASA weather specialist Veronica Torres told the Manila Bulletin in a phone interview that hail is common during severe thunderstorms, which happen frequently during warm weather.

“Iyong mga thunderstorm cloud kasi natin kapag violent iyong wind, imbis na iyong water droplet is babagsak siya, pero dahil malakas iyong hangin, so iyong water droplet umiikot siya sa loob ng thunderstorm cloud tapos sa cumulonimbus cloud may freezing point, so kapag umabot o umangat na roon, pwede siyang mabalutan ng yelo tapos babagsak ulit siya then pag hinangin ulit babalik ulit doon at iyong water droplets ay nacoveran nang nacoveran nang yelo hanggang sa tumigas at mahulog—iyon ang hail (When the wind in a thunderstorm cloud is violent, instead of falling, the water droplets will be circulating inside the thunderstorm cloud, and while the cumulonimbus cloud has its freezing point, and when that freezing point was reached, the water droplets will be covered by ice repeatedly until it solidifies and falls as a hail),” Torres said.

She added that cumulonimbus clouds—which can produce tornadoes, strong winds, and rainfall—are common during the warm and dry season.

“Ang nangyayari kapag mabilis iyong development, posibleng maging malakas iyong mga hangin sa loob at dahil sa malakas na hangin doon nabubuo iyong mga hails (What happened is when the development of clouds is fast, the winds inside may be strong leading to the creation of hails),” she said.

Torres warned the public about hail threats, noting that when thunderstorms are forecast, it is necessary to stay inside the house or any establishment.