A new study in Nature warns that climate change will make hailstones significantly larger, causing billions in damage to vehicles, roofs, and solar panels.
Researchers found that hailstones bigger than a large marble will increase by 38% to 47% by century's end, depending on carbon emissions. Smaller hailstorms are projected to shrink by up to 8%.
Hail already costs the global economy around $80 billion annually, according to meteorology professor John Allen. In Europe, hailstorms have surged 267% over the past five years due to climate change, with 2022 and 2023 each causing record losses exceeding €5 billion.
"We've seen record hailstones in recent years," Allen said. "We're not really building our environment to be resilient to hail."
Solar farms are particularly vulnerable. Stones reaching five centimeters can crack protective glass, and upgrading Europe's booming solar industry with remote-tilting protections is a "significant challenge."
While many studies have focused on the U.S., experts warn that Europe, Canada, and Argentina will see the biggest increase in large hail. A 2025 study from Newcastle University and the UK Met Office confirmed climate change is "supercharging" Europe's biggest hailstones.
The study examined three emissions scenarios. In a slightly optimistic case, large hail increases 38%. In a pessimistic scenario with temperatures nearly 1°C warmer, large hail jumps 47%.
"This is a meaningful climate signal," said Northern Illinois professor Walker Ashley, adding that disaster losses also depend on where people build and how resilient structures are.