Quick answer: Most solar panels survive normal hail, strong wind and rain. They’re tested against 25 mm ice balls and heavy pressure loads before sale. Hail around 40 to 50 mm can crack glass or the cells beneath it, and strong gusts can pull panels off poorly fixed mounts. Dust storms don’t break panels, but they cut output until you clean them.
If you’re thinking about solar panels, or you already have them, a storm forecast raises the obvious question: will the system still be there tomorrow? This guide covers what the lab tests mean, what real storms have done to real arrays (including in the UAE), what dust does to output in the Gulf, and what to do after a storm.
How are solar panels tested for hail and wind?
Every panel sold through normal channels is certified to the IEC 61215 standard. The hail part of that test fires 25 mm ice balls at 23.0 m/s at 11 spots on the panel (Sinovoltaics). The load part presses on the panel in three cycles with at least 2,400 Pa, and snow-rated panels take 5,400 Pa on the front (Nuwatt Energy).
| Test | What it uses | What it does not tell you |
|---|---|---|
| IEC 61215 hail test | 25 mm ice ball, 23.0 m/s, 11 impact points | How the panel handles larger stones |
| IEC 61215 load test | At least 2,400 Pa, three cycles; 5,400 Pa for snow-rated panels | How the whole roof system behaves in real gusts and flying debris |
| PVEL hail stress sequence (extra, optional) | Eleven 50 mm ice balls at 32 m/s, then crack-stress cycling | Not a requirement; only models that were put through it have results |
A pass isn’t a promise. PVEL, an independent testing lab, says the basic IEC hail test is not enough proof for hail-prone regions. It reports that it has not seen glass break at the baseline level, yet modules that passed it still failed in severe storms. In its published examples, one module’s glass shattered at 50 mm and 35 m/s, and another kept intact glass but had at least 15 cracked cells after 11 hits at 40 m/s (PVEL).
The standard itself allows larger ice balls for hail-prone locations, and the test report has to state which size was used. Labs such as Fraunhofer ISE can test with 35 mm and 45 mm stones (Fraunhofer ISE, in German).
What does hail actually do to a solar panel?
Hail damage comes in two forms. The obvious one is cracked glass. Panels are laminated between layers of plastic inside an aluminum frame, so a cracked panel doesn’t spray glass across your yard. The hidden one is damage to the cells and the thin metal lines (busbars) under the glass, caused by the impact energy passing through it (RENEW Wisconsin). A panel can have micro-fractures in its silicon cells without any broken glass (Solar Power World).
Two real storms, two small losses
On March 15, 2025, a hailstorm with golf-ball to baseball-sized stones hit Owensboro, Kentucky. At one home, two of about 45 panels broke. Both faced west, the direction the hail came from. The monitoring software showed the other panels producing as expected, and the homeowner’s insurance covered roughly $300 to $400 per panel (about AED 1,100 to 1,470 or SAR 1,125 to 1,500 at the fixed exchange rates) (Solar Power World, 2025).
In May 2017, a hailstorm hit the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado, and only one of its 3,000-plus panels was damaged (Mother Earth News).
Two storms aren’t a statistic. They do show that a typical array loses a few panels in a severe storm, not the whole roof, and that the side facing the storm takes the hits.
Tilt matters too. A steeper angle makes hailstones strike at a glancing angle, which lowers the impact force. But insurer Aviva points out that the best tilt is a trade-off, because steeper panels catch more wind uplift (Aviva).
What happens to solar panels in strong wind?
The panel is rarely the weak point. The rails, clamps and roof fixings are. IEC test results assume the panel is installed exactly as the manufacturer says (Surge PV), so a rating on paper doesn’t help if the installer used too few clamps or clamped in the wrong zones. Many Tier-1 panels are rated to about 2,400 Pa of rear load, which represents wind uplift (Nuwatt Energy).
The Gulf has a recorded example. In August 2023, downward winds in the Shokeh area of Ras Al Khaimah tore off house gates and shattered porches, and one farm owner said the winds destroyed the solar panels on his farm. He said it lasted only 15 to 30 minutes (Gulf Today). One storm cell can do real damage in minutes, and that’s the case for a proper wind-load check at installation.
Storms and heavy rain in the Gulf
The Gulf isn’t a hail-free zone. On April 16, 2024, the UAE recorded its heaviest rainfall since records began in 1949, with 254 mm falling in under 24 hours in Al Ain (Reuters). Residents in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi shared videos of golf-ball-sized hail during the same storm (Harper’s Bazaar Arabia). A golf ball is roughly 4 cm across, which is well above the 25 mm standard test stone.
I couldn’t find a public tally of how many rooftop systems were damaged in that storm, so I won’t guess. What you can check yourself is where your inverter and battery sit. Panels on a roof are fine in heavy rain. Equipment mounted low on a wall near a drain or a flood-prone yard is the part that’s exposed to water.
Dust storms: the Gulf risk that cuts output
Dust doesn’t shatter anything, but it hits your production twice. In March 2024, a dust event cut solar irradiance by 10 to 15% across Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Oman and Yemen. Dust scatters sunlight even with a clear sky, then settles on panels (Solcast).
How much you lose depends on how long the dust sits there. Three studies from the region show the range:
| Study | Location | Finding |
|---|---|---|
| Qatar University, 2021 | Doha, Qatar | Output fell 43% after six months without cleaning |
| UAE University | UAE | Up to 13% loss after three months of dust; cleaning every 15 days held it to about 4% |
| University of Sharjah, 2021 | Sharjah, UAE | 8.46% drop after 41 days with one light rain; cleaning about every two weeks recommended |
The methods differ, so don’t compare the numbers line by line. The pattern is the same: loss grows with time, and regular cleaning is cheap compared with six months of lost output. Follow your panel manual for how to clean.
What to do after a storm
- Wait for the weather to clear. Don’t go on a wet roof to check.
- Inspect from the ground. Look for cracks, spider-web patterns, bent frames, shifted rows or loose cables. Zoom in with a phone camera or binoculars.
- Treat any cracked panel as live. A damaged panel can still produce electricity in daylight. Keep clear of it and call a licensed installer.
- Check your monitoring app. Compare today’s production with a similarly sunny day before the storm. Hidden cell damage can show up as a drop, even when the panel looks fine.
- Document before anyone touches anything. Take dated photos and screenshots of production data. You’ll need them for a claim (Heaven Green Energy).
- Call your insurer for storm damage and your installer for an inspection. Warranty and insurance cover different things, as the next section explains.
Warranty or insurance: who pays for storm damage?
Product warranties on panels typically run 12 to 25 years, and performance warranties 25 to 30 years (Portlandia Electric Supply). The catch is that many manufacturer warranties exclude force majeure events such as hail, storms and floods. Warranty terms from several manufacturers list these exclusions. As a rule of thumb, defects go to the warranty and storm damage goes to insurance (Portlandia Electric Supply; Heaven Green Energy).
That leaves the question of Gulf insurance. I couldn’t find a reliable public source on how UAE, Saudi or Qatari home policies treat rooftop solar, so don’t assume. Ask your insurer in writing:
- Are the panels, inverter and battery covered?
- Which causes are covered (hail, wind, flood, lightning)?
- What is the excess (deductible) per claim?
- Does the policy need to list the system separately?
Also ask your installer whether their workmanship warranty covers the mounting system, since that’s the part wind tests most.
How to lower the risk before you install
- Ask for certificates for your exact model. You want IEC 61215 and IEC 61730 reports for the panel being installed, not a similar one.
- Ask about hail tests beyond 25 mm if you live where large hail is possible. Check which ice ball size and speed the report used.
- Ask how the array is fixed. Request the wind-load calculation and confirm the clamps follow the manufacturer’s mounting zones.
- Use a licensed installer. Check your utility or regulator’s list of approved installers in your country. Hail netting is an option in high-risk areas, since it deflects stones away from the glass (Aviva).
Frequently asked questions
Can solar panels survive hail?
Most can survive small and moderate hail. Panels are tested with 25 mm ice balls at 23 m/s before they're sold. Larger hail, around 40 to 50 mm, can crack the glass or the cells underneath, so the answer depends on stone size, wind and the panel's build.
What size hail damages solar panels?
There's no single cutoff. The standard test uses 25 mm ice balls. In PVEL's tougher tests with 50 mm ice balls, one module's glass shattered at 35 m/s, and another kept intact glass but ended up with at least 15 cracked cells after impacts at 40 m/s.
Does insurance cover solar panel hail damage?
In the US, most homeowners policies cover rooftop panels against hail, according to SolarReviews. I couldn't find a reliable public source on UAE, Saudi or Qatari home policies, so ask your insurer in writing which perils (hail, wind, flood) cover your panels and inverter.
Should I cover my solar panels during a storm?
Usually not. SolarReviews says covering isn't needed for every thunderstorm, and light hail each year is unlikely to cause damage. Covers are mainly discussed for areas with frequent large hail. Don't climb onto a wet roof in bad weather to fit one.
Do dust storms damage solar panels?
The studies cited here describe lost output, not broken panels. Dust blocks sunlight in the air and then coats the glass, so production drops until the panels are cleaned or rained on. Studies in the UAE and Qatar measured losses from about 8% to 43%, depending on duration and method.
Prices and loss figures in this article come from the studies and reports linked below. They are examples, not quotes. Get quotes and inspections from licensed installers in your country. Last updated: October 19, 2026.
Related guides
- Solar panel cleaning and maintenance in hot, dusty climates
- Do solar panels work in cloudy weather and rain?
- How long do solar panels last?
- Solar panel warranties explained
- How to choose a licensed solar installer
Sources
- Sinovoltaics: What Is IEC 61215 MQT 17?
- Surge PV: IEC 61215 glossary
- Nuwatt Energy: Solar panel hail and ice durability (2026)
- PVEL: Hail Stress Sequence
- Fraunhofer ISE: Additional test facilities
- RENEW Wisconsin: About that hail and your solar panels
- Solar Power World: Kentucky solar projects survive hailstorm (April 2025)
- Mother Earth News: Can solar panels survive hurricanes and withstand hail?
- Aviva: Hail resilience for utility-scale solar
- Gulf Today: Scattered showers of hail and rain in some areas of UAE (August 2023)
- Reuters (via Stabroek News): UAE battered by floods (April 17, 2024)
- Harper’s Bazaar Arabia: UAE storm videos (April 2024)
- Solcast: Dust and cloud impact solar across Arabian Peninsula (April 2024)
- Qatar University: Quantification of PV power and economic losses due to soiling in Qatar (2021)
- UAE University: Influence of cleaning frequency of PV modules on power losses in the desert climate
- University of Sharjah: Impact of dust on azimuth tracking solar PV (2021)
- SolarReviews: Solar panel hail damage
- Heaven Green Energy: Solar panel warranty explained (2026)
- Portlandia Electric Supply: Solar panel warranty guide