Hailstorms damage vineyards in Portugal's Douro and coffee farms in Brazil

A severe hailstorm struck the Douro region of Portugal, hitting Ervedosa do Douro in the São João da Pesqueira municipality. Farmers reported that the brief but intense storm destroyed several hectares of vines, leaving them practically unrecoverable. One grower said, “It started to get dark, thundered and suddenly a huge hail fell. In a short time it destroyed everything. It was horrible.”

At the same time, hail accompanied recent rains in Minas Gerais, Brazil, damaging coffee plantations. The hail caused leaf loss, broken branches and fruit injuries, raising the risk of disease. Experts advise growers to first conduct a detailed technical diagnosis, maintain normal cultural practices where damage is light, and apply selective pruning, enhanced fertilisation and vigilant disease monitoring where damage is severe. They also recommend water‑conserving practices and resilient cultivars to cope with the broader climatic instability.