BARCELONA — A 20-month-old girl has been killed after being hit by a massive hailstone during a rare storm in northeastern Spain.

The baby died on Wednesday morning in hospital after being struck on the head while with her parents on Tuesday, officials said.

Catalonia's president Pere Aragones has described the freak accident as a "tragedy".

At least 40 other people were treated for injuries after the fierce storm, which brought hailstones of up to 11 centimeters in diameter, the largest in the region since 2002.

Carme Vall, the mayor of the town of La Bisbal d’Empordà, told reporters that many cars and buildings had been damaged by the hail.

"The hail only fell for ten minutes, but it was ten minutes of terror," she told RAC1 radio.

Video footage on social media showed the hailstones bouncing like golf balls on cars in the street.

Heavy storms have been predicted for eastern Spain this week following severe heatwaves during the summer both on land and in the Mediterranean Sea. — Agencies