Hail does not directly cause or generate a tornado, but both severe hail and tornadoes are frequent co-products of the same violent meteorological phenomenon—a massive, rotating supercell thunderstorm with intense updrafts. The same powerful atmospheric instability and wind shear that support the massive ice pellets needed to form golf-ball or baseball-sized hail also provide the mechanical rotation required to stretch a mesocyclone down into a destructive tornado. Therefore, severe hail is often considered a major warning sign that tornadic activity may be imminent or occurring nearby.
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