Severe thunderstorm activity produced heavy rains as usual in Trinidad on Monday afternoon (September 27), however, small hailstones also greeted citizens in the northcentral section of the country.

The Trinidad and Tobago Weather Center said it received hail reports in Arouca, El Dorado and Tacarigua as residents collected the icy stones in cups and pans.

The pea-sized stones appeared either clear or semi-transparent as Trinbagonians elsewhere in the twin-island republic witnessed no rains or scattered showers only.

According to the TT Weather Center, a hailstorm is a rare albeit possible event in Trinidad—the product of extremes in temperature and an abundance of atmospheric moisture.

The TT Weather Center, in a Sunday forecast, warned temperatures could exceed 34°C across Trinidad over the next three days, with ‘feel-like’ temperatures above 40°C in some areas.

“Severe thunderstorms, or hailstorms, tend to [favour] Trinidad versus Tobago due to our higher temperatures and frequent sea breeze convergence,” the TT Weather Center said, adding that hail has occurred along plains and hilly regions of Trinidad.

“Nearly all severe thunderstorms probably produce hail aloft, though it may melt before reaching the ground,” the agency added.

See video below:

While not commonplace in the tropics, hail in warmer countries in the Caribbean happens mainly at high atmospheric elevations, where the icy droplets usually melt before reaching ground.

Some of Trinidad’s most notable instances of hail have been during rare tornado events such as the 2009 Caroni Plains Tornado.

The hailstorm of August 1996, associated with a severe thunderstorm, produced hail across La Romain, San Fernando, and Penal.

“Our most recent, confirmed, hail report occurred during a severe thunderstorm on March 2018 across Central Trinidad. Our most recent reported hail event occurred on September 2020, and October 2020,” the TT Weather Center said.

Though hailstorms are rare for Trinidad and Tobago, as well as the Caribbean, they have been reported in the past in Venezuela, Barbados, Jamaica, and St Kitts with some of the most recent events occurring in Martinique.

In the meantime, the TT Weather Center indicated that flash flooding is also probable as heavy downpours continue over mainland Trinidad.

“Severe thunderstorms continue across Trinidad, with frequent lightning, gusty winds, torrential rainfall & reports of hail across north-central Trinidad. Street/flash flooding also likely,” the agency said in a 2:00 pm bulletin.