Snow sports on one of Italy's two remaining glacier ski areas open in summer have been suspended after the exceptionally high temperatures melted away snow cover and left exposed granite rock surfaces.
The Stelvio glacier is normally open from May to November, opening after the Italian Giro cycle race passes through the area in spring but this year the high temperatures known as Lucifer which have brought temperatures above 40C and reputedly as high as 55C to parts of southern Europe are reported to have made the ski slopes unusable.
The operators of the glacier ski lifts have said that skiing is suspended immediately until at least 17th August, with some reports saying the closure is 'indefinite.'
Images show little or no remaining snow cover making it seem unlikely the glacier can re-open soon, although the weather has now changed and fresh snow did fall on the Stelvio glacier and other European glacier ski slopes today.
Stelvio is now the only Italian ski area except Cervinia still open for summer skiing.
The news from Stelvio follows the announcement from Austria's Dachstein glacier last month that it will no longer operate a terrain park due to climate change and earlier this year from Whistler's Blackcomb glacier where one long standing summer camp announced it would no longer operate.