As Europe endures an unusual cold snap, many fruit farmers are concerned for their summer harvests.
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00:00 As a cold snap hits much of Europe, many fruit farmers are worried about the summer harvest.
00:06 Since mid-April here in Croatia and in other Balkan states, temperatures have plunged from
00:11 near record highs to unseasonal lows, bringing snow and ice to much of the region.
00:19 It was very warm, we had up to 30 degrees one day, and then suddenly we got to minuses.
00:26 Fruit trees and everything is destroyed, it's over.
00:29 Practically, if any apple tree remains, it will be good.
00:33 In the Netherlands, farmers are ingeniously spraying the buds of their fruit trees with water.
00:38 When they freeze over, it actually protects the buds.
00:41 When the ice melts, heat is released, which prevents them from getting badly damaged.
00:48 It's already on the branch, and there's ice around the fruit already, because the flower
00:53 is already underneath the fruit, and the fruit is already covered in ice.
00:58 That layer of ice ensures a certain isolation and thawing temperature, and because of that
01:03 thawing temperature, the fruit stays just above zero.
01:07 And at higher altitudes in Europe, such as here in Austria, the heavy snowfalls are a
01:12 challenge to drivers, forcing them to put chains back on their tyres.
01:16 Forecasters are predicting the extreme conditions will run into next week.
01:21 [WHOOSH]