Tallinn's roof cleaners overwhelmed by snowfall

A snow covered roof in December 2022.
A snow covered roof in December 2022. Source: Ken Mürk/ERR

Heavy snowfall has overwhelmed roof cleaners in the capital and it can currently take a team of workers several days to clear one house. Rising temperatures will not help and pedestrians should be aware of icicles.

The process will become more complex in the coming days as snow thaws and refreezes. This can significantly increase the time needed to clear a roof.

"When the snow was fluffy and soft, it's really easy to remove. But if there is a crust on top of the snow, or if it turns into ice, you end up having to break the snow off," Mihkel Nurm, CEO of Skyproff, said.

There are not enough companies in Tallinn to clear all the buildings at once and many households will have to wait for some time yet, Monday's "Aktuaalne kamera" (AK) reported.

Kai Tuts manages 17 apartment buildings. She said companies are not picking up phone calls or responding to messages.

Snow roofs in the Old Town. Source: Siim Lõvi /ERR

"When you can get hold of them a lot of them will tell you straight out that they don't have the capacity, they've got all their staff working, they just don't have the time," she told AK.

Aivar Toompere, head of the Tallinn Municipal Police Agency, told AK few icicles have formed at the moment.

However, pedestrians must still be attentive as there are dangerous areas in every district.

"From past experience, I can tell you that there will be queues, and they will be several weeks long, because not every worker can do every task, they need to have the appropriate training and safety equipment," Toompere said.

Snow removal will also take longer this year as the thaw is taking place around national holidays.

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Editor: Marko Tooming, Helen Wright

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