TRIGLAV GLACIER HAS MELTED AWAY

LJUBLJANA, OCTOBER 27 /SRNA/ – The last remaining patch of ice on the Triglav Glacier in the Slovenian Alps has completely melted.

Once a significant mass of ice, the glacier lost 93 percent of its surface area between 1983 and 2003. It subsequently shrank to less than one hectare and defied predictions of its disappearance for decades, The Guardian reports.

Last month, Swiss scientists announced that nearly one-fifth of Switzerland’s ice had disappeared over the past five years, while its volume fell by 5.5 percent in 2026 alone.

In Slovenia, which is home to the southeastern section of the Alps, the glacier lost most of its surface area during the previous century.

Data show that in the mid-19th century, it covered approximately 40 hectares. By 1946, when the first official measurements were conducted, its area had shrunk to 14 hectares.

Although the glacier has disappeared, scientists have discovered ice in caves beneath Mount Triglav, as the glacier’s retreat has exposed new openings.

The Slovenian glacier on Mount Skuta has also shrunk, but it is expected to survive for several more years because it is sheltered from the sun.

Western Europe experienced its hottest summer on record this year. The heat caused an estimated 50,000 deaths and costly secondary consequences, ranging from destroyed crops to the forced shutdown of power plants.