I regularly post about amazing nature phenomenon. Nowadays, Slovenia is being hit by a sleet apocalypse that you are about to discover in pictures and videos.
It’s not an ice tsunami but an ice storm. It is devastating cities and is said to be one of the largest catastrophe ever to hit Slovenian forests. Thank you to a Facebook active follower for the links below (Thony)!
Look at these photos and videos and tell me if you also find this ice chaos both terrifying and beautiful!
Damjan Oražen, director of the Slovenian Forest Institute, has stated that according to early estimates as many as 500,000 hectares of forests are damaged. This represents almost half of all Slovenian forests. The total volume of fallen wood amounts to 4 million cubic metres, which equals the entire average annual harvest.
Falling branches and trees pose danger throughout the country at the moment, and it will continue to be so until the ice melts. So take care! Walkers through forested areas have to be extremely cautious… Same in cities… And be aware that the situation is not likely to fully return to normal until next spring.
It will take years to rehabilitate the forests”predicts Oražen, adding that the current priority is to clear the roads for traffic and enable access to villages that have been cut off from the rest of the country.
What is sleet?
Sleet is a form of wintry precipitation, but its exact definition depends on location. In some countries — for example, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia — the term refers to snow that has partially melted on its way to the ground.
In the United States, this is called slush orwet snow. To meteorologists in the USA, sleet consists of frozen raindrops that hit the surface as little ice pellets. These are quite distinct from hailstones, which form in a different way, and can occur at any time of year.