Austrian armed forces find clever way to clear snow from roofs amid extreme weather

Austria has drafted in its armed forces to help clear snow banks after heavy precipitation covered the western part of the country.

The soldiers are seen shovelling snow from a roof onto a large piece of angled tarpaulin allowing it to fall to the ground in a neat pile.

Spokesman for the Ministry of Austrian Defence, Michael Bauershared, shared the video showing an effective way of clearing a build-up of snow.

Due to the extreme weather conditions, the army has been triggering explosions in the area to start controlled avalanches.

The UK Foreign Office has issued a warning to British tourists headed to Austria due to a heightened risk of avalanches.

Heavy snow and avalanches left parts of Europe paralysed last week as the number of weather-related deaths rose to at least 21.

Ski resorts were closed and mountain villages were shut off after snow blocked transport links and brought down power lines.