World News for Students of English

06-09-2022 07:00

Last week, heavy storms hit the north of Catalonia, Spain. Large hailstones injured about 50 people, and they killed a small girl.

A hailstone hit the 20-month-old girl on the head. She went to hospital, but she died some hours later. People reported head injuries, bruises, and broken bones.

Storms also damaged houses, windows and electricity cables. The hailstones were as big as a fist; they were the biggest in the last 20 years. Scientists said that hailstorms happen all year, but they happen most often between March and September.

A very hot summer warmed the Mediterranean Sea more than usual, and storms were heavier.

Difficult words: hailstone (a hard ball of ice, which falls from the sky), bruise (a blue mark on the skin, which usually appears when you hit something), fist (a hand with its fingers closed tightly in).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.