ILOILO City – A tornado and a hailstorm occurred in Barangay Lanag, Santa Barbara, Iloilo on Tuesday, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) confirmed.
Lasting only a few minutes, the weather occurrence came with hailstones as small as human nails, which immediately melted, said PDRRMO head Jerry Bionat.
But the tornado destroyed one structure and damaged another, Bionat said without disclosing details.
While this occurrence is normal, many people find it uncommon, the disaster management official said, citing as factor the lack of sufficient proper knowledge about various weather conditions.
Tornadoes happen in the different municipalities in Iloilo province so PDRRMO expects them to occur every year, said Bionat.
In fact, there are cities and barangays that are on the “tornado alley,” he added.
Hailstorms occur in areas where there is intense thunderstorm, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.
But hailstorms do not last long – only from 30 minutes to an hour – due to fast evaporation, said Pagasa weather observer Charlie Depra. (PNA)
