The surface ice on Brno’s lakes and ponds continues to be unsafe for public use, as the ice has been melting during this week. The thickest ice measured at Mariánské Udoli ahead of the weekend was nine centimeters, three centimeters less than is required to walk safely on the ice, according to police spokeswoman Markéta Skřivánková.
Each year, officials measure the strength of ice regarding the climatic conditions. They went to the Brno Dam for the first measurement at the beginning of this week after a cold period, during which the temperature measured several degrees below zero at night and around zero during the day.
Less than nine centimeters were measured. “The slight warming during this week caused the ice to melt and increased the associated risk of collapse,” said Skřivánková.
Brno City Police have issued a warning against trying to walk on natural bodies of water. In order to measure the thickness of the ice at the Brno Dam, officers had to wade through water near the banks due to melting. The ponds in Jehnice are in the same situation.
Only a five-centimeter layer of ice was measured on the Medlánecký pond. “However, the ice is gradually melting and water is standing on the surface,” Skřivánková added. “The water bodies in Mariánské Udoli are covered with a roughly nine-centimeter layer, but the ice is also slowly melting here, and going onto the slushy surface is definitely not safe.” She said Chrlice and Holásecké jezery are in the same situation.
Today was due to be warmer, according to meteorologists, with a temperature peak during the afternoon between zero and four degrees Celsius in the region. The temperature should cool down a bit this weekend again, with the highest afternoon temperatures for Saturday forecast between -1 and 2 degrees Celsius, and for Sunday to be -3 to 1 degree Celsius.
