Close to 2 thousand crop hail claims have been filed in Saskatchewan from storms earlier this month.

The president of the Canadian Crop Hail Association, Rick Omelchenko, says some of the worst storms hit across a wide area in the middle of July.

Omelchenko says the hail stones were pea to tennis ball in size, with the worst hit area around Eston in west central Saskatchewan.

But he says hail affected farms in numerous communities in mid-July, including Kindersley, Abbey, Dinsmore, Outlook, Lumsden, Indian Head, Esterhazy, Kerrobert, Luseland, Biggar, Radisson, Hepburn, Rosthern, Cudworth, Humboldt, Kelvington, Lampman and Redvers.

He says crop damage claims are normal to above normal in Saskatchewan this month.