The Slovak Hydro-Meteorolgical Institute (SHMÚ) has warned that a severe storm – known in Slovak as an orkan, or ‘mini-hurricane’ – may hit Slovakia in the next 24 hours.
The warning applies to all districts of Slovakia, except Kysucké Nové Mesto, the SITA newswire reported. The SHMÚ said wind speeds could reach 15 to 25 metres per second (54 to 90 kilometres per hour). Freezing temperatures and 10 to 30 centimetres of snow is also expected, with a risk that the snow will drift.
Marek Kučera, writing on the Meteoinfo.sk weather website, noted that current weather patterns are similar to those that resulted in the windstorm of November 2004, which devastated forests in the High Tatra mountains.
Sources: SITA, Meteoinfo.sk
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
