Advertisement

40C: Switzerland set for another heatwave

The Local
The Local - [email protected]
40C: Switzerland set for another heatwave
Heatwaves are now a common occurrence in Switzerland. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)

After a weekend of mild to warm temperatures, a heatwave is headed for Switzerland which could push temperatures as high as 40C.

Advertisement

The hot days are set to start on Wednesday, according to Swiss weather outlet Meteo News, where temperatures of 30C are forecast. 

Temperatures are set to rise to at least 35C, although highs of 40C could be hit. 

“Depending on the weather model, it can get really hot towards the weekend, so that the 35-degree mark can definitely be exceeded,” said Meteo News spokesperson Klaus Marquardt. 

“In the worst case, 40C can be expected.”

Advertisement

The reason for the heatwave is a high-altitude low which is bringing hot air across from the Iberian Peninsula and Northern Africa. 

Much of Portugal has been hit by wildfires this month as temperatures in the low 40s were seen across the country. 

READ MORE: What’s next after Switzerland’s ‘extremely worrying’ heatwave?

There will be no respite from the warm weather until well into next week, with temperatures climbing at weekend’s end. 

“The peak with temperatures above 35 degrees is expected next week on Monday or Tuesday. In Basel, for example, between 37 and 38 degrees are quite possible” Marquardt said. 

"The models are not yet in complete agreement about the course, duration and extent of this."

What are the consequences of the heatwave?

As The Local already reported in June 2022, Swiss glaciers are now melting faster than usual, partly due to the early heat wave in May.
 
READ MORE: Why Switzerland’s glaciers are melting faster than usual this summer

But there is more.

Hydrologist Massimiliano Zappa, also warns that current very high temperatures and no rain could speed up the drought across Switzerland, especially as Swiss rivers and streams “have a lower flow than the average of previous years”.

Water rationing could become inevitable, he said.

 “In Spain and southern Italy, for example, people know how to get by with little water, because they have been educated to meet their daily needs with less. But this is not part of Swiss mentality”, Zappa said.

The heat wave could also impact railway installations as well as electronic devices, according to Le Temps newspaper.

“Overheated smartphones, expanding rails, and computer fans running at full speed: high temperatures put a strain on infrastructure and our everyday objects, while requiring more energy”, Le Temps said.
 

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also