The gas cylinder hit the ground in a puff of snow and then hurtled down the mountain at high speeds, perilously close to skiers in the Aprica ski resort in northern Italy.
Visitors to Bosnia's Mount Bjelasnica lugged skis through mud to reach ski-lifts this week as spring-like weather following the planet's hottest January spoilt their usual winter activity. "I was caught by surprise when I saw this mud, it's different from the last year," said Aida Dedic, a skier who had travelled to Bjelasnica from the Netherlands. Other European ski destinations, such as Italy, have also seen entire mountains snowless and ski centres abandoned as rising temperatures threaten the skiing industry worldwide.
Resorts are reported to be shutting down their ski-lifts as their slopes are out of use due to the lack of snow, disappointing tourists who have travelled a long way.