Vineyards in Bordeaux have resorted to drastic action to protect against hail damage — they have been firing cannon into the air. The idea is to create large shockwaves that are thought to disrupt the formation of hailstones but last Friday and Saturday vineyards were devastated by hailstones said to be the size of pigeons’ eggs, despite a network of cannon firing up into the storm.
There is a long and inglorious history to warding off hail. In the 1500s church bells were often rung during storms to drive off thunder, lightning and hail in the belief that demons in the clouds responsible for the storms were terrified by the sound of the bells. Indeed, Pope Urban VIII authorised a prayer for the consecration
