Flooding eases in mountain areas

The flooding in several parts of Switzerland which had disrupted both road and rail transport and the evacuation of people in some areas has eased, reports say.

But on the plains, the Aare river is still causing concern, especially in the Swiss capital Bern, where the river has risen by two metres, according to a police spokesman.

Cantons Bern, Valais, Nidwalden and Obwalden were among those particularly hard hit by flooding. Several brooks and rivers in these places overflowed on Monday and spilled their contents across streets and train tracks.

By Tuesday morning the situation was reported to have calmed in the Bernese Oberland, Valais and central Switzerland after rainfall stopped.

In the Bernese Oberland, however, the rail service between Zweilütschinen and Lauterbrunnen is expected to be disrupted for the next ten days, but the road to Lauterbrunnen has now been reopened.
 
The rail service between Frutigen and Kandersteg has been disrupted, as has those between Dallenwil in Nidwalden and Engelberg in Obwalden.
 
According to the Swiss national weather service, a warm front is to blame for the chaos.