Storm trackers in Texas have recovered a massive pineapple-sized hail stone that could be a new state record.
Val and Amy Castor, veteran storm chasers with Oklahoma City television station KWTV, discovered a piece of hail nearly 18cm long at the weekend.
They made the discovery near Vigo Park while they were chasing a major thunderstorm system.
Pic: Val Castor/KWTV via AP
Val Castor said the stone was about the size of a pineapple.
“That’s the biggest hail I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been chasing storms for more than 30 years,” he said.
He said several baseball-sized hail stones fell while he was driving, including one that cracked his windscreen, before he spotted the big piece in a ditch on the side of the road.
“I could see it from probably 100 yards away,” he added.
The massive hail stone is believed to be a new state record, topping a 16.25cm specimen found in Hondo in 2021.
It still must be confirmed by a group of researchers that includes the Texas state climatologist.