Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

Swiss summer driest since 1921

Sunbather by a lake
Great for sun worshippers, but too many hot, dry days can spell trouble. Keystone

The current summer in Switzerland is the driest on record since 1921, and there is no sign of much rainfall arriving in the near future, according to the meteorological office.

While the years 2003 and 2015 were also parched, the dry spell this year started earlier, stretching back into the Spring. There has not been so little rainfall between the start of April to the middle of July for nearly 100 years, reports Swiss public television SRF.

Several cantons have banned open fires – a common feature of Swiss summers as people go out into the countryside to grill sausages – for fear of dry vegetation going up in flames and spreading. 

This is also likely to affect August 1 Swiss national day celebrations in many reasons as they traditionally involve bonfires.

While there have been some summer thunder storms, rainfall has been restricted to small areas and the rainclouds have on the whole been swept away by winds.

And there is worse to come, say SRF weather forecasters. The hottest, driest days of summer generally occur between now and August 23 in Switzerland. This will only increase the risk of forest fires, experts warn.

Climatologists also predict more hot, dry summers for years to come according to their models.

More


Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

No Swiss bank in phase with environmental objectives

More

Swiss banks failing environment, says WWF

This content was published on None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.

Read more: Swiss banks failing environment, says WWF
UNRWA provides emergency assistance to just over one million Palestine refugees, or about 75 per cent of all Palestine refugees in Gaza, who lack the financial means to cover their basic food.

More

Lazzarini: no alternative to UNRWA in Gaza

This content was published on The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.

Read more: Lazzarini: no alternative to UNRWA in Gaza

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR