BY RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS
ILOILO – Ice pellets or hailstones rained down on the towns of Badiangan, Mina and Pototan on Friday afternoon, April 21.
Jan Baron, weather observer of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) – Iloilo, said hailstones may occur in an area if there are severe thunderstorms or heavy thundering effect of hot weather.
“If may severe thunderstorms, may mabaskug nga hangin, amo ni ang ginatawag nga updraft. Ginadala niya ang moisture sa babaw. Once ang moisture masaka na sa atmosphere mahimu siya water droplets,” Baron told Panay News.
He added, “Ang water droplets nga nagahulag sa aton atmosphere if na-reach niya na ang freezing point, mahimu siya nga yelo or ice. And if mabug-at na sa clouds, amo na na paghulog niya sa kadutaan. Amo na maka-experience kita sang pag ulan sang ice,” said Baron.
However, hailstorms do not last long.
Baron said the hailstorms in the three towns only lasted for around three hours.
“If didto lang ang localized thunderstorms, didto lang ang mga mature nga clouds. Basta localized thunderstorms indi ina lapad iya area… Kag usually pila lang man na ka towns ang ma-cover niya,” Baron added.
Meanwhile, barangay kagawad Azecena Afinidad of Barangay Tina, Badiangan, said in an interview with DYRI RMN Iloilo it was her first time to experience the raining of hailstones.
“Sa 58 anyos ko bag-o lang gid ko ‘ya kakita kag naka-experience nag-ulan sang ice. Nakibot lang gid kita nga may naglinagpok na sa atop,” she said.
She added the hailstones were different from the ordinary ice because it is slippery and do not dissolve immediately.
“Ang kinalain niya ‘ni sa ordinary ice kay ang iya tsura may nagabilog pa sa tunga nga daw kisses nga daw may mata bala kag dugay matunaw kag tama ni kadanlog. Ang ordinary nga ice ya kung mabasa matunaw dayun. Ato ya once kaptan mo madanlog kag daw may mata siya sang isda,” Afinidad added.
Furthermore, PAGASA-Iloilo warned the public that the said ice is not edible for it may contain dust particles or hazardous chemicals.
“Indi to pwede kaunon or butang sa ilimnon kay, take note, halin to siya sa aton atmosphere. Antes ‘ni siya nag-ice nahimu siya water droplet sa atmosphere. Ti, may mga dust particles na kag chemicals sa aton atmosphere nga nagdikit sa ice,”Baron explained./PN
