Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday
Water prices could rise, new sanctions against Russia, and other Swiss news in our roundup on Thursday.
Water prices could rise in Switzerland
The amount of water available during the hot and dry summer months has always been an issue and in certain regions, private households are being encouraged to save water. The Swiss Association of Municipalities (SVG) now assumes that prices are set to rise in the future due to water shortages, SRF reported.
The association also believes that a "seasonal solution" would be conceivable. This could be, for example, higher water tariffs in the dry summer months.
"One could argue that the price rises when there is scarcity in the summer. How much would depend on the uses for the water", said Christoph Hugi, a specialist in sustainable resource management. He proposed a new calculation system that would make it more expensive for a swimming pool owner to fill up his pool but could have lower tariffs for a farmer that needs to water their fields, for example.
READ ALSO: ‘An impossible dream’: Will we come to dread Swiss summer in future?
New sanctions against Russia
Switzerland's Federal Council has imposed new sanctions on Russia, it said yesterday. In view of the ongoing Russian military aggression in Ukraine, Switzerland has also decided to set the latest European Union sanctions prohibiting trade in gold and gold products.
Major global hub Switzerland is banning imports of Russian gold. The measures came into force yesterday.
“The new measures primarily concern a ban on buying, importing or transporting gold and gold products from Russia. Services in connection with these goods are also prohibited", according to the Ministry of Economics.
READ ALSO: NATO in, neutrality out: How the Ukraine invasion impacted Switzerland
Inflation stays at 3.4 percent
Inflation in Switzerland has not risen further - at least for the time being, but it remains at a high level for the country.
At 3.4 percent, the consumer prices in July were at the same level as in June, as the Federal Statistical Office announced. The increasing prices are driven mainly by more expensive imported goods (which were up 8.4 percent compared to the same period last year).
Petroleum products, for example, cost 43 percent more than in July 2021, mainly due to the war in Ukraine.
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Why Switzerland’s inflation has rate stayed low compared to elsewhere?
Hot and unstable day in Switzerland this Thursday
The weather forecast for Thursday promises a hot and unstable day in Switzerland. Temperatures may reach 35C in Genève, Sion, and Basel and 35C in Zürich and Bern. Chur and Lugano could see highs of 33C, according to the country's Meteorologic Institute MeteoSchweiz.
In German-speaking Switzerland, the day should be mostly sunny and increasingly humid. There could be some afternoon showers above the mountains and near the Alps ridge.
The day will be sunny in Western Switzerland with a few morning clouds. Some showers and thunderstorms could happen in the afternoon, especially in the alps.
On the southern side of the Alpine region, it will be mostly sunny, according to the institute. Also, near the mountains, there is a tendency for local thunderstorms.
READ ALSO: How to keep your cool during Switzerland’s heatwave
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Water prices could rise in Switzerland
The amount of water available during the hot and dry summer months has always been an issue and in certain regions, private households are being encouraged to save water. The Swiss Association of Municipalities (SVG) now assumes that prices are set to rise in the future due to water shortages, SRF reported.
The association also believes that a "seasonal solution" would be conceivable. This could be, for example, higher water tariffs in the dry summer months.
"One could argue that the price rises when there is scarcity in the summer. How much would depend on the uses for the water", said Christoph Hugi, a specialist in sustainable resource management. He proposed a new calculation system that would make it more expensive for a swimming pool owner to fill up his pool but could have lower tariffs for a farmer that needs to water their fields, for example.
READ ALSO: ‘An impossible dream’: Will we come to dread Swiss summer in future?
New sanctions against Russia
Switzerland's Federal Council has imposed new sanctions on Russia, it said yesterday. In view of the ongoing Russian military aggression in Ukraine, Switzerland has also decided to set the latest European Union sanctions prohibiting trade in gold and gold products.
Major global hub Switzerland is banning imports of Russian gold. The measures came into force yesterday.
“The new measures primarily concern a ban on buying, importing or transporting gold and gold products from Russia. Services in connection with these goods are also prohibited", according to the Ministry of Economics.
READ ALSO: NATO in, neutrality out: How the Ukraine invasion impacted Switzerland
Inflation stays at 3.4 percent
Inflation in Switzerland has not risen further - at least for the time being, but it remains at a high level for the country.
At 3.4 percent, the consumer prices in July were at the same level as in June, as the Federal Statistical Office announced. The increasing prices are driven mainly by more expensive imported goods (which were up 8.4 percent compared to the same period last year).
Petroleum products, for example, cost 43 percent more than in July 2021, mainly due to the war in Ukraine.
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Why Switzerland’s inflation has rate stayed low compared to elsewhere?
Hot and unstable day in Switzerland this Thursday
The weather forecast for Thursday promises a hot and unstable day in Switzerland. Temperatures may reach 35C in Genève, Sion, and Basel and 35C in Zürich and Bern. Chur and Lugano could see highs of 33C, according to the country's Meteorologic Institute MeteoSchweiz.
In German-speaking Switzerland, the day should be mostly sunny and increasingly humid. There could be some afternoon showers above the mountains and near the Alps ridge.
The day will be sunny in Western Switzerland with a few morning clouds. Some showers and thunderstorms could happen in the afternoon, especially in the alps.
On the southern side of the Alpine region, it will be mostly sunny, according to the institute. Also, near the mountains, there is a tendency for local thunderstorms.
READ ALSO: How to keep your cool during Switzerland’s heatwave
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