Strong wind complicates transportation and the operation of cable cars in the High Tatras. Due to unfavorable weather conditions, the Tatranská Lomnica and Štrbské Pleso resorts are temporarily closed. The operator of the centers informs about this on the website.
- Strong winds affect transport and the operation of cable cars in the High Tatras.
- Tatranská Lomnica and Štrbské Pleso are temporarily closed due to the weather.
- Railway transport on the section Vyšné Hágy – Štrbské Pleso is interrupted.
- Firefighters removed fallen trees and secured damaged roofs.
- Východoslovaká distribučná registers power outages due to falling trees.
The weather also complicates the situation on the Tatra Electric Railway. The Slovakian Railway Company (ZSSK) announced on its website that trains have been canceled in the section between Vyšné Hág and Štrbský ples and will be replaced by buses. “Since the early hours of the morning, from 5:30 a.m., rail traffic in the Vyšné Hágy – Štrbské Pleso section has been interrupted due to a fallen tree on the traction line. The manager of the railway infrastructure on the spot ensures the necessary work to restore operations. As a result of the interruption of traffic, some trains in the said section were canceled and replaced by substitute bus services.” ZSSK spokesman Ján Baček said for TASR.
During the night and in the morning, the volunteer firefighters between the villages of Liptovská Teplička and Vikartovce also removed fallen trees due to the strong wind. Pprofessional firefighters dealt with loose parts of roofing in Humenno and Kežmark and removed fallen trees near Levoč and Štrbské Pleso. However, the operational officer of the Regional Directorate of the Fire and Rescue Service in Prešov confirmed to TASR that it was nothing out of the ordinary.
The Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute issued a second level warning for strong winds for the Poprad district on Sunday. The latter can reach a speed of 38-44 meters per second in impacts on mountains at high altitudes above 1500 meters above sea level.which is a strong to powerful gale. The warning is valid until Monday, December 29.
In connection with the strong wind, the Východoslovenská distribučná (VSD) also recorded power outages. Company spokeswoman Andrea Forbergerová confirmed for TASR that shortly before 11:00 a.m., less than 1,200 collection points were unsupplied. “The reason is downed trees on power lines, which were blown down by strong winds, reaching gale-force intensity in the mountains. Strong gusts are reported in lower elevations, and level 1 warnings are in effect for the rest of the VSD distribution area,” stated that the effects of the wind were caused by malfunctions on both high-voltage and low-voltage equipment.
The villages of Závadka, Nálepkovo, Henclová, Juskova Voľa, Stará Voda, Davidov, Oľšavica, Hradisko and Brezovica are the most affected in the defined distribution area of VSD. Problems are also reported in Letanovce, Liptovská Teplička, Iliašovce, Vikartovce and Kostoľany nad Hornádom. “Emergency teams are in the field and, in cooperation with dispatch management, they are continuously removing the consequences,” the spokeswoman concluded.
In connection with the weather, Železnice SR (ŽSR) also recorded an increased incidence of fallen or bent trees on some lines. Spokeswoman Petra Lániková clarified that these are sections such as Nálepkovo – Švedlár, Starý Smokovec TEŽ – Tatranská Polianka TEŽ, Kremnické Bane – Horná Štubňa, Sklené pri Handlovaj – Horná Štubňa or Tisovec – Brezno. “The aforementioned situations are continuously eliminated in cooperation with the relevant components, and due to timely interventions, these events do not have a significant or long-term effect on the flow of rail traffic. As for the Štrbské Pleso – Vyšné Hágy section, we will inform you about the opening of this section, as work is still being done to eliminate the consequences of the emergency,” added.
