Hailstorm hits Costa del Sol’s Ronda as winemakers hope their crops have not been ruined

MASSIVE hail storms have rained down in Ronda as more extreme weather hits southern Spain, with local farmers praying their crops have not been ruined by the storms.

So, too, are the winemakers of the Inland Malaga gem, whose worst fear is their grapes getting damaged due to the falling of heavy rain or hail.

Pablo Chacon, 31, who owns Samsara vineyard with his best friend, said he is yet to check on the vineyard but the ramifications of a hail storm can be devastating to his produce. 

“The hail stopped about an hour ago,” he said.

“The trouble with such weather is that it can break the grapes on the vine, and this means they can become rotten. 

“I don’t know precisely how much profit we could lose as a result, as we have never had it before. 

“I hope that today’s weather hasn’t caused a major problem, though.”

Over the weekend, heavy rainfall caused torrential floods in Costa Blanca, with disastrous consequences.