Singapore officials assured citizens the recent hailstorm that hit western parts of the country won’t pose a risk to their health.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) held a media conference over growing concerns about the recent storm. Although the haze is considered to be a problem, the agency said the hailstorm isn’t toxic.
According to Yahoo! News , the hailstorm started in western Singapore at around 3 pm on Tuesday afternoon. The storm also included strong winds and heavy rain.
The Epoch Times reports some originally believed the hailstorm was caused by pollution. Researchers pointed to a 2004 study which suggested increased air pollution could increase the likelihood of severe storms and hail.
However, officials with the NEA were unable to confirm if the Singapore hailstorm was actually caused by the recent haze that has plagued the area. While the wind and rain may have given people a bit of relief from the problem, none of them were prepared for the hail.
“The wind suddenly turned very cold, and these crystal-like stones started raining down. It was very frightening. I could not believe my eyes,” 24-year-old Laura Tang explained to Yahoo! News .
Other residents described the hail as being sharp and “prickly. “Instead of coming down one at a time, they were reportedly “coming down in straight, solid lines.”
According to Western Pacific Weather , the high winds that accompanied the storm knocked over trees and caused some damage to western parts of Singapore. However, reports of the haze continued to surface following the rain.
Hailstorms in Singapore are actually few and far between. The last storm to hit the region was nearly five years ago. This is because temperatures rarely fall below the freezing mark in the lower parts of the atmosphere.
What do you think about the Singapore hailstorm? Is there a possibility all of this was caused by the haze that is currently plaguing the region?
