STA, 29 August 2022 - After receiving notable quantities of rain in the last ten days, the Slovenian coast, where water use restrictions were introduced in early July, will again be able to use water also for non-essential purposes. The supply of water from the Postojna area will end tomorrow.

Representatives of the Rižana water utility from the coast and Civil Protection held a regular weekly meeting this morning to determine that water levels after the rain in the last ten days have improved to the point where restrictions may be lifted.

"Everything has improved somewhat ... so we decided to finally start lifting all these measures that were in force in the last days," said Martin Pregelj, the head of the Rižana water utility.

"We can again use water in agriculture, we can wash the yard or the car. Utility companies can turn on showers at the beach again," he said. But he was quick to point out that there is still not enough water to waste it.

The Civil Protection and Disaster Relief Administration, which has organised truck transport of water from the river Unica, north of Postojna, to a water works facility near Dekani during the drought, will end this campaign tomorrow.

According to Pregelj, a solution needs to be found by next summer so as to avoid having water transported to the coast by trucks.

Water restrictions were introduced in all four coastal municipalities at the beginning of July, when the use of water for non-urgent purposes was banned and cuts for businesses introduced.

STA, 27 August - Due to a lack of rainfall mountain huts in Slovenia are experiencing water scarcity, including the highest hut Kredarica that sits below Mt Triglav, Slovenia's tallest peak. Currently, the hut only has water supplies for about ten days, and there has been a cap on bookings for some time.

The summer-season hut is situated right next to Slovenia's highest mountain weather station, sitting on a small plateau at 2,515 metres.

Kredarica can accommodate more than 300 guests, but due to a severe water shortage accommodation capacity has been halved. Mountaineers are urged not to seek lodgings without booking them first or to return to the valley the same day if they can, Herman Uranič, one of the Kredarica hut keepers, said on Thursday.

The water that climbers bring with them cannot solve the problem of water scarcity, he added, as water is also needed for washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen. They are already using paper cups and, if necessary, they will switch to paper plates too. The keepers also save water by showering every ten days or so.

The last time it rained on Kredarica was about a week ago, a rare event in the past weeks that made Uranič laugh out of joy.

If water runs out, they can bring it to the hut, but this is quite costly, since the volume that would be required for a single day would cost EUR 5,000.

The hut is usually open from mid-June until the end of September. Visitor numbers this season are very good, with 20%-30% more visitors than in the same period last year, and an increase of nearly EUR 200,000 in turnover.

The visitors are mostly foreigners, who account for some 75%. Most of them are from Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria and France. Slovenians tend to visit Kredarica and climb Mt Triglav over the weekends.

The water situation in other mountain huts in the vicinity of Mt Triglav, including Dom Planika and Koča na Doliču, is also critical, the Alpine Association of Slovenia warns, urging mountaineers and hikers to implement water-saving habits, including the use of wet wipes.

There are 161 mountain huts in Slovenia, of which 55 use rainwater reservoirs, the mountaineering organisation said. Of these, more than ten also use water tanker trucks where access makes this possible.

Most of the huts, about 45%, are located near mountain springs, some of them also combine this water source with the reservoirs. More than fifth of the huts are connected to the public water supply network.

STA, 17 August 2022 - As experts take stock of the drought damage to agriculture, city dwellers are witnessing the long-term impact of the dry summer too, especially on the coast where municipal vegetation has suffered additionally due to a watering ban. Cities where watering has mostly been allowed have used different approaches to prevent the worst.

The heaviest damage is being reported in coastal municipalities, although the city of Koper has for instance mitigated the watering ban somewhat by using water from a nearby lake.

Annuals, perennials, shrubs and fragrance plants are currently struggling with the drought, and a dozen newly planted trees have perished.

The heat has also left a strong mark on Koper's Bonifika sports centre, with two of its three football pitches completely ruined by the heat and watering ban. The main pitch is being watered with bought water delivered from 60 kilometres away.

Meanwhile, Voka Snaga, the municipal company responsible for the maintenance of trees in Ljubljana, is also struggling to protect some of the trees in the capital, even though it has executed 5,790 rounds of watering on 1,087 trees during the summer.

"At extremely high temperatures of more than 35 degrees Celsius, sometimes even regular watering does not protect the trees from drying out," the company's representatives told the STA amid media reports that the landmark birch tree in Prešeren square is now dry.

In Maribor, the main challenge are the roughly 800 trees planted in the past three years, with some of the most vulnerable ones being watered on a daily basis.

Moreover, the moving height has been raised at municipal green areas to protect them from from drying out completely. Mulching and watering bags have proven invaluable.

Similar measures are used in Kranj, where newly planted trees - some 500 were planted in the past four years - are also being supported with additives such as humic acid and special tablets that help to alleviate the impact of the drought.

Officials in Celje are speaking of "a doubling if not tripling" of efforts to support the city's vegetation compared to last year. Watering bags are a popular measure and while damage has also been seen on older trees, they do not seem to be drying out.

Much success in the fight against the heat and drought is being reported from Murska Sobota, but officials were careful to note that the actual extent of the damage will not be clear before next spring when the trees should start producing fresh leaves.

UPDATED: 11:30am
STA, 21 July 2022 - The massive fire that raged in the region of Kras on the border between Slovenia and Italy, south of Nova Gorica, has been contained to two isolated fires, and firefighters continue to fight it, including from the air. Most of the residents of the four villages that had been preventively evacuated on Wednesday have returned to their homes.

The firefighters had a difficult night having to battle two isolated fires near Kostanjevica na Krasu, the area where the fire had gotten dangerously close to houses, said Stanko Močnik, who commanded the overnight effort.

Both hotspots have been brought under control and contained, he said, while Ervin Čurlič of the regional Civil Protection headquarters told the STA that over the night, the fire near Kostanjevica had broken out twice after already being put out.

This is due to unexploded ordnance dating back to the First World War, because of which it is not possible for firefighters to approach the centre of the fire, he said, adding that both fires had nevertheless been contained.

Čurlič fears that the fire could start spreading again if the wind picked up again. It is difficult to forecast the wind situation for today, as it is changing rapidly, he added.

As the fire cannot be attacked directly from the ground, the only option for putting it out is from the air by helicopters of the Slovenian Armed Forces. These could not be flown at night, and will again be engaged during the day today.

The Pilatus aircraft will also be used for the effort, and a Croatian Canadair water bomber is said to be also available.

More than 800 firefighters were on the ground during the night, and new units are coming to Kras today to relieve them, the regional Civil Protection headquarters reported.

Civil Protection head Srečko Šestan assessed for the public broadcaster TV Slovenija on Wednesday evening that it was the largest fire ever in Slovenia, which destroyed vast areas of forest and undergrowth. Houses have been spared.

Around a hundred people were preventively evacuated from parts of Miren as well as the villages of Sela na Krasu, Hudi Log, Korita na Krasu and Nova Vas on Wednesday afternoon. Most of them were able to return to their homes by the evening.

The wider area remains engulfed in smoke that is irritating to the respiratory system and eyes, so the health authorities have recommended that people stay indoors.

The smoke has reached the Slovenian coast, with reports saying that visibility in the port city of Koper has been reduced to one kilometre.

Fires are burning also on the Italian side of the border, with the village of Jamiano being the most endangered. As of this morning, firefighters are being aided by a helicopter and a Canadair water bomber, the Trieste-based newspaper Primorski Dnevnik reported.

STA, 19 July 2022 - While a major wildfire in the NW part of the Kras region was brought under control on Monday, new fires broke out in the area today, in particular in the Miren-Opatje Selo area with the fire spreading across the border to Italy. More than 200 firefighters are battling the flames along with rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft.

News of the wildfire, which erupted right next to where Friday's Kras fire first started and is raging along the railway line as well, comes after two days of firefighting efforts in the area, which involved over 500 firefighters as well as two Italian and three Slovenian helicopters. A Croatian water bomber was also deployed on Sunday.

The new fire is about 200 hectares in size with the firefighters keeping it above the Lokvica-Devetaki road on the Italian side, which is closed to traffic, as is the road between the villages of Lokvica and Miren. For safety reasons the power line has also been disconnected from the grid, the Regional Civil Protection headquarters reported.

Three Slovenian helicopters and the Pilatus PC 5 transport aircraft have also been deployed as has the national unit for the protection against unexploded ordnance.

On the Italian side of the border fires broke out at several locations along the railway.

Slovenian firefighters are also helping battle the flames on the other side of the border.

An additional problem is major damage to the Opatje Selo-Sela water supply network. The Civil Protection said all hydrants in the area that supplied the firefighting units so far are empty. Water is being transported from nearby areas.

President Borut Pahor visited today the site of the fire that erupted nearby on Sunday and was said to have been brought under control on Monday after it had come about half a kilometre close to the village of Lokvica.

STA, 18 July - Slovenia is looking at a serious heatwave ahead as temperatures will climb to hit up to 39 degrees Celsius by the end of the week, according to the Environment Agency (ARSO). The warning of great fire hazard and drought remains in place for the Kras and Istria. Meteorologists forecast that a cold front will reach Slovenia next week.

While the bora that has spread wildfire in recent days in Primorska is subsiding, temperatures will continue to grow consistently throughout the week, with a peak of 39 degrees Celsius on Saturday and Sunday, while next Monday might see temperatures up to 40 degrees.

Regions most affected by the heatwave will be Bela Krajna, and Nova Gorica, while those living in larger towns are also urged to take precautions against the heat.

The fire warning now in for the Kras and the Slovenian Istria might extend to other parts of the country in the coming days, said ARSO.

The bora in Primorska is expected to start blowing west late Monday afternoon.

The dry spell has been persistent for the last couple of months in Slovenia, and this has started to affect groundwater levels, according to ARSO, and subsequently crop growth.

Tackling the dry spell will be a long process, ARSO meteorologist Veronika Hladnik Zakotnik has warned. Larger quantities of rain are not expected until next week when a cold front is to pass trough the country, with the exception of rainfall brought on by heat that might occur in the north this Thursday.

Related: Ljubljana Predicted to Be World's Fastest-Warming City

STA, 12 July 2022 - The Ministry of Economic Development and Technology has decided to allocate a total of EUR 69.14 million to 20 projects of development and restructuring of ski resorts into all-year mountain centres and construction of additional or renovation of the existing accommodation facilities.

The ministry will allocate EUR 63.42 million in subsidies for the restructuring of ski resorts as part of ten projects and EUR 5.71 million for additional accommodation capacities in the mountain centres as part of another ten projects.

Ksenija Flegar, the head of the Tourism Directorate at the ministry, told the press on Tuesday that the projects would result in more than 500 new beds for tourists and more than 200 beds in upgraded facilities with a higher rating.

Minister Matjaž Han noted that the ministry had managed to secure additional funds in collaboration with the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy and the Infrastructure Ministry.

Funds will be provided for all projects that had been initially positively evaluated, Han said, adding that an additional EUR 20.3 million had been added to the originally planned amount of EUR 48.8 million.

One of the two ski resorts that have not been selected is Kanin, the highest ski resort in Slovenia, with Han noting that the project by the municipality of Bovec for a circular cabin cable car had failed to meet all the criteria.

The minister said that he had invited representatives of the ski resort operator and the municipality to a meeting to find possibilities to co-fund the project from other funds.

Development and European Cohesion Policy Minister Aleksander Jevšek said that many projects would perhaps not be finalised by the end of 2023 due to the rising costs of the works that had already been approved and are under way.

"We have addressed this issue to the European Commission and in the coming days we will talk about how to resolve this situation," he said.

STA, 5 July 2022 - Similar to many parts of Europe, Slovenia is facing a drought which has become severe in the regions of Goriška, Gorenjska, Dolenjska and the greater Ljubljana area, according to the Environment Agency. Wildfire risks are still high, and many water supply companies have issued water use restrictions.

Many communities in the regions where the drought is most severe have been prohibited from using drinking water for watering of plants, washing cars and filling their pools.

The drought map as of 30 June 2022, which should be updated here

The most recent water use restriction was imposed on the cost on Tuesday, with local mayors warning in a joint statement that the possibility of further water use restrictions is high.

While residents are prohibited from washing their cars, filling pools and watering plants from the public water system, the local utilities shut off watering systems in public parks, public beach showers, water fountains and even drinking fountains.

While the eastern-most part of the country does not face low water levels for now, the Environment Agency has said that moderate drought has also taken a toll on underground aquifers around Kranjska Gora, Bovec, the coast, the regions of Notranjska, Savinjska, Spodnjesavska and Podravska.

STA, 28 April 2022 - Eight Slovenian cities applied for the European Commission's Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities 2030 Mission, and three of them, Ljubljana, Kranj and Velenje, have been chosen to participate in the project, featuring in total 100 cities.

Ajdovščina, Izola, Maribor, Nova Gorica and Ormož also applied from Slovenia but they were not chosen. Due to the high level of interest - 377 cities wanted to participate - support would also be offered to those that were not selected.

In addition to cities from the EU, the Commission has selected 12 more cities from the countries linked to the EU's Horizon Europe research and innovation project.

The project will receive EUR 360 million in 2022-2023 through the Horizon Europe programme. Promoting alternative fuel vehicles, public transport, car sharing and green roofs, it will encourage the participants to become climate neutral by 2030.

The Commission finds it important to encourage the cities to work together to help others become climate neutral by 2050 given the significant carbon footprint of urban areas.

Learn more about the project

STA, 8 January 2022 - 2021 made for a quite dry, sunny and warm year in Slovenia but the month of December in Ljubljana was one of the dullest on record with only 18 hours of sunshine. New Year's Day hit a new temperature high.

Over the past 50 years Slovenia warmed up by just over 2 degrees Celsius and it now has about 200 more hours of sunshine a year than half a century ago.

Last year was the 17th warmest in 60 years with temperatures roughly 0.7 degrees above the average for 1981-2010, Gregor Vertačnik, a climatologist at the Environment Agency (ARSO), has told the STA.

2021 was also the 12th driest and the 7th sunniest over the past 60 years with about 11% more sunshine than in an average year.

Ljubljana residents may well disagree with that as the months of November and December in particular saw the Slovenian capital shrouded in fog or low cloud.

The city had 48 hours of sunshine in November, which compares to the average of 66 hours for that month. December was even worse with only 18 hours of sunshine, compared to the average of 55 hours in 1981-2010.

Otherwise, February and June were one of the warmest on record in the country with temperatures exceeding the long-term average by more than 3 degrees Celsius.

By contrast, the month of May was 2 degrees below the long-term average. Temperatures were also below average in April and October.

Some of the freakiest weather events include a record high of 25 Celsius measured in the western Vipava Valley in February and 20.6 degrees below zero in the Bloke area in south central Slovenia in April.

Several metrological stations recorded all-time highs for the period around New Year's Day with temperatures above 15 degrees.

The record high temperature for 1 January was recorded in Godnje near Sežana in Kras where the mercury hit 19.1 Celsius this 1 January, said Vertačnik, noting the record for January is just over 21 degrees.

Only a week later, temperatures dropped to below -20 on Saturday morning. Data from Neurje.si and ARSO shows the lows falling to -5.6 Celsius in Ljubljana, -3.4 at the seaside airport of Portorož, -21.4 in Bloke and the cold spot called Mrzla Komna measured 36.8 Celsius below zero.

One peculiar feature of 2021 was the record amount of snow in spring. The thickest blanket at Kredarica, Slovenia's highest mountain weather station, measured 510 centimetres on 26 May 2021.