Storm warning in effect

The government has warned that large parts of southern Switzerland and some mountain areas on the north side of the Alps could be hit by flooding or landslides this weekend.

The national weather service has forecast heavy rain for a 24-period beginning in the early hours of Saturday.

The areas expected to be most greatly affected are the southern canton of Ticino, towns and villages near the Simplon and Gotthard passes, the upper Rhone valley and the part of the Bernese Alps that includes international resorts like Grindelwald and Wengen.

The risk alert for flooding of the Rhone river and Lake Maggiore has been placed at level two – which equates to the kind of natural disaster that occurs on average every two to ten years.