Switzerland battered by strong winds, rain and snow

Winds gusted up to 143km/hr in some parts of the country on Sunday, said MeteoNews, while considerable rainfall turned to snow above 400-700m, with 30-50cms of fresh snowfall in the northern Swiss Alps. 

 

 

The high winds disrupted traffic in and out of Geneva airport on Sunday afternoon, with flights delayed by up to three hours, reported Le Matin. Ten flights were diverted and three cancelled, said an airport spokesman.

 

Roads and rails were also disrupted by heavy rain and fallen trees.

 

 

One driver in the canton of Glarus had a lucky escape in the early hours of Sunday morning after heavy rain caused his car to aquaplane. He lost control of the car and it turned over several times before coming to rest in a field. The 24-year-old managed to escape the vehicle before it burst into flames, said police.

 

The high winds also played havoc with the big top of Swiss touring circus Knie in Bellinzona. 

 

Footage filmed by broadcaster SRF showed the tent being buffeted by the wind before collapsing to the ground.

 

 

There were no spectators inside at the time. One worker was lightly injured, said ATS.

 

High winds remained in some parts on Monday but calmer, sunny weather is forecast for the coming week.