A skiing competition has been canceled due to warm weather amid a lack of snow across the continent.
A night slalom world cup race scheduled for Zagreb, Croatia, on Thursday was cancelled due to warm temperatures and strong wind, organizers confirmed.
It comes as patchy snowfall and warm weather caused by the climate crisis in much of Europe have forced some European ski resorts to close just a few weeks after opening.
Adelboden in Switzerland, which hosts most of the skiing World Cup, is being forced to run the race on artificial snow this year.
Course director Toni Hadi said: “The climate is a bit changing but what should we do here? Shall we stop with life? Everything is difficult.”
Unseasonably warm weather and low snowfall has forced some European ski resorts to close just a few weeks after opening.
The northern Alps and French Pyrenees are particularly struggling for snow.
Temperatures in France in December were the warmest for 25 years, according to national forecaster Meteo France.
The closures include Ax 3 Domaines, a resort near France’s border with Andorra, and a partial closure of both the Le Gets and Morzine in Portes du Soleil.
The lack of snow has revived concerns about rising temperatures linked to climate change, with patches of grass, rock and dirt visible on Monday in some of Europe’s top skiing destinations.
Recent temperatures in Europe have shown warmer-than-average conditions. Poland has seen daily highs in the double digits in recent days.
