This winter may have been the warmest on record ever in the rest of Europe but it did not help an Icelandic homeowner who says this year there was so much snow – it buried his cabin for the first time ever.
Images shared of the cabin near the village of Hofsos show the building that was completely buried not once but three times this winter with these pictures showing just its TV antenna could be seen.
Hofsos is one of the oldest trading ports in northern Iceland dating back to the 16th century, in the valley of Unadalur and it was the first time in the cabin’s 46 year history that it had been completely buried by snow.
that was despite the fact that the Met office in the UK said that the 2019-20 winter covering the months of December, January and February saw the highest maximum December temperature and the warmest on record for Europe as a whole.
The owners of the cabin in Iceland in contrast needed the help of rescue workers and volunteers to clear the property of snow.
Family member Jon Por Josepsson admitted that “it has been quite a workout”.
During unusually heavy snowfall this winter, the family had to constantly check on the cabin to make sure it was okay.
Jon said: “When I got there in mid-March, the place was completely buried in snow with nothing but the TV antenna sticking out.”
The snow on the cabin’s roof was reportedly 2.5 metres (8.2 metres) thick.
Local rescue teams helped to clear the ice with the use of a snow blower.
However, Jon said: “The weather forecast was bad… and three days after we cleared the roof, things looked just as bad, probably even worse.”
Snow covered the cabin completely again and the owners have been working tirelessly to clear it with the help of rescue workers and volunteers.
However, they admitted that the snowfall in December proved to be the toughest as the only tools they could use to break the ice were chainsaws.
Snow blocks were sawed off and then rolled onto sleds to be taken away.
The harsh weather has reportedly damaged the cabin’s roof, but the owners said that they have no plans to relocate the building as they doubt a winter like this could happen again.
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Story By: Lee Bullen, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder,  Agency: Central European News
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