Violent thunderstorms struck vast swathes of French-speaking Switzerland late Monday causing major flooding that prompted scores of evacuation requests.
The southwestern city of Sion was particularly hard hit with hundreds of cellars flooding in the wine-making region.
Office workers had to be evacuated by firefighters, according to Swiss Public Radio, RTS. Police recorded more than a thousand calls and evacuation requests in the span of two-hours.
Torrential rains also inundated the train station and water levels rose so high that cars got stuck in the streets of Sion, the capital of canton Valais.
Rain currents filled with rubble and stones littered roads and chocked off major arteries, including the scenic Great St. Bernard Pass which snakes across the Alps connecting Switzerland to Italy.
Repair works are still underway.
External Content
Heavy rains and violent winds pummeled the Lake Geneva area with wind gusts of over 90 km/hour hitting Le Bouveret and 40 mm or rain documented in Prangins, according to MétéoSuisse.
In Vevey, a town on the northern shore of Lake Geneva, sailboats ran aground in front of the market square.
Popular Stories
More
Workplace Switzerland
Meet the foreigners who make up a quarter of the Swiss population
What can be done to protect biodiversity in your country?
Swiss voters are set to decide on a people’s initiative calling for better protection of ecosystems in the country. Have your say on the September 22 vote.
This content was published on
Hollywood star Pamela Anderson will be honoured at the Zurich Film Festival for her career and role in the film The Last Showgirl.
Switzerland to host Ukraine mine action conference in October
This content was published on
Together with Ukraine, Switzerland is organising the Ukraine Mine Action Conference (UMAC2024) in Lausanne on October 17 and 18.
Switzerland revises pension expenditure downwards by billions
This content was published on
The Swiss government has corrected downwards the projected expenditure on old-age and survivor insurance in 2033 by CHF2.5 billion ($2.66 billion).
Excess mortality rate post-Covid could persist until 2033
This content was published on
According to a report by reinsurer Swiss Re, many countries are still experiencing excess mortality following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Swiss Army ends clean-up operation in storm-hit Maggia Valley
This content was published on
The Swiss Armed Forces completed 76 flight hours during the clean-up operation following the storm in the Maggia Valley in Ticino at the end of June.
Swiss cruise ship stranded on Danube River after heavy rains
This content was published on
Passengers on a Swiss river-cruise ship stranded on the Danube following heavy rainfall are still unable to disembark in Vienna due to flooding.
Golden eagles get better at flying over time, say Swiss researchers
This content was published on
Golden eagles perfect their flight as they age and learn to make better use of air currents, says a new study co-produced by Swiss researchers.
This content was published on
Public libraries in Switzerland recorded 46.3 million admissions last year, 7.4 million more than in 2022, says the Federal Statistical Office.
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
Temperatures climb to record levels
This content was published on
The town of Sion in southwestern Switzerland registered 36.2°C (97.2°Fahrenheit) on Sunday, according to the local weather station. The record for Sion is 37.8°C. And in 2003, temperatures rose to 41.5°C in southeastern Switzerland and 39.7°C in Geneva in 2015. Meteonews expects afternoon temperatures above 35°C and at least 20°C at night in lower-lying regions…
This content was published on
Farmers want the government to introduce emergency measures to offset the problems for agricultural production caused by the ongoing 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.
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.