Hailstones of up to 10cm in northern Catalonia result in death of toddler and damage

Up to 10 cm (4 inches) hailstones in northern Catalonia resulted in the death of a toddler after being hit by one in La Bisbal d'Empordà, some 30 km east of Girona.

Sources at the Josep Trueta hospital, in Girona, confirmed to the Catalan News Agency (ACN) on Wednesday morning that the child had been hospitalized there on Tuesday evening but died during the night.

Trueta also said that another person had been hospitalized but later discharged after the events.

La Bisbal's acting mayor, Carme Vall, told RAC 1 radio station that 24 people in the town had gone to the local primary care center for injuries caused by the hail.

She also explained that numerous car windows and roofs had been damaged, resulting in water entering households.

Carme Vall said the local council would assess the damages and had already asked for the zone to be declared a disaster area.

Firefighters received dozens of calls from residents who reported damages and other incidents related to the episode.

The hailstorm occurred mostly in the Baix Empordà, Alt Empordà, Gironès, and Pla de l'Estany areas on Tuesday evening and lasted just a few minutes.

According to the Catalan weather service (SMC), the hailstones were the biggest in 20 years, since 2002.

Severe weather not over

The authority also warned that the episode of severe weather is not yet over and that heavy rain and hail may fall also on Wednesday morning.

It has issued a 'high risk' alert for some counties just north of Barcelona: Vallès Occidental, Bages, and Moianès.

A 'medium risk' alert has also been issued for other metropolitan counties including Barcelonès, where Catalonia's capital is.

SMC has also stated that tornadoes and strong winds of over 25 meters per second may also occur, and heavy rain may fall during the whole day across the country.