Army helicopters have been bringing water free of charge.
Keystone
As the dry weather continues, Swiss army helicopters have been bringing emergency water supplies to cattle farmers in high mountain pastures.
This content was published on
1 minute
SDA-ATS/jc
The army on Friday carried out is ninth operation of this kind since July 20, bringing several thousand litres of water to high mountain pastures above Weesen, in canton St. Gallen. The water comes from the nearby Walensee lake, according to spokeswoman Delphine Allemand.
Farmers are not charged for the deliveries, she told the Swiss news agency SDA-ATS. The helicopter operations are financed from the regular army budget, since they also serve as training for the pilots. Another spokesperson said at the beginning of the week that the army nevertheless only intervenes as a last resort when private companies cannot do such operations.
So far, the army has intervened only in eastern Switzerland, but may soon be flying also over parts of French-speaking western Switzerland, where canton Vaud on Friday activated its drought and heatwave plan for the pre-Alps and Jura regions.
The heatwave is expected to continue for several more days, according to the MeteoSwissExternal link weather authorities, with temperatures below 600 metres reaching as high as 32 to 36 degrees Celsius (90-96 degrees F) this weekend.
Popular Stories
More
Multinational companies
Azeri fossil-fuel cash cow brings controversy to Switzerland
Chimpanzee behaviours passed down through generations
This content was published on
Some of the complex behaviours of chimpanzees have been passed down and refined over generations. These include the combination of several tools for foraging.
More than 600,000 rounds of Swiss sniper ammunition reach Ukraine
This content was published on
Sniper ammunition from Swiss P Defence reached Ukraine via a Polish company in July 2023, reported SRF Investigativ on Thursday, citing official information.
Environment minister outlines Swiss efforts to limit global warming
This content was published on
Switzerland will do its part to achieve the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celcius, said Environment Minister Albert Rösti, who's attending COP29 in Baku.
This content was published on
Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled. Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled. Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled.
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
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.
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.
Read more
More
Switzerland continues to swelter under heatwave
This content was published on
MeteoSwiss has issued a heat warning for the Italian-speaking region of Ticino, as the country continues to suffer the effects of the heat.
Weather authorities urge caution ahead of another week of severe heat and dryness
This content was published on
MeteoSwiss warned that temperatures this week in the Lake Geneva region and the southern canton of Valais would reach 31-35 degrees Celsius (88-95 degrees Fahrenheit).
This content was published on
A political scientist explains how a particular breed of alpine cow in establishing its “queen” can be used as an example for our own leaders.
This content was published on
The days are long and the work strenuous. And yet every summer, thousands of Swiss farmers trek up to the ‘Alp’ (the high pasture) with their herds.
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.