A heavy hailstorm battered many areas of the Region of Murcia on Tuesday afternoon. The weather event is reported to have caused extensive damage to fruit orchards in the area; according to the UPA farmers’ union, agricultural losses are potentially amounting to millions of euros. The fruit affected includes apricots, peaches, nectarines, almonds, pears and grapes as well as leaf vegetables. Heavy crop and tree damage is reported in parts of the municipalities of Mula, Pliego, Archena, Molina, Fortuna, Campos del Río, Albudeite, Cieza, Jumilla and Totana. Crop growers in the Campo de Cartagena and other parts of the Guadalentín valley were spared the violent hailstorm. The crop losses are all the more unfortunate as the sales value of the crops could have been quite high due to a scarcity of produce being forecast this year. Yields are forecast to be very low in other parts of Spain as well as in France and Italy as a result of various meteorological setbacks. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com