In fact, this year's summer weather could be one for the history books.
That's because Switzerland's official weather service, MeteoSchweiz, is predicting one of the five hottest summers since 1864 (maybe even before that too, but records were not kept before this date).
Depending on how you feel about heatwaves, there is either good or bad news ahead: while the temperatures in next few days may drop — to about 26C — the reprieve from extreme heat will be short-lived.
"The outlook shows temperatures above normal through August. They could rise again as early as July 15th," Isabelle Fath, a forecaster at MeteoSwiss, told Tribune de Genève in an interview.
"There's a 90-percent chance that this will be the fifth hottest summer since measurements began in 1864," she said.
(Others were 2003, 2022, 2015, and 2019). notes Isabelle Fath.
Not only that, but "there's even a 15-percent chance that the summer of 2025 will be the hottest in history."
How hot will it get?
In the past two weeks or so, when temperatures in many regions of the country hit, and even exceeded, the 30C mark, you have had the foretaste of what the rest of summer 2025 has in store.
Meteorologists agree that the remaining weeks of the season are expected to be warmer than average, which for Switzerland means between 18C and 28C, depending on the region and altitude.
In fact, in terms of heatwaves, "this summer will almost certainly experience extremes," according to Roger Perret from Meteonews weather service.
Long-term climate projections are clear: the summer of 2025 is expected to be particularly hot. Even the June temperatures have been more than 3 degrees higher than in previous years.
READ ALSO: Swiss government issues extreme heat alert
Yes, but are these forecasts reliable?
While it is generally true that many natural phenomena — including weather — cannot always be predicted with utmost accuracy, chances are high that this particular forecast is correct.
Meteorologist Mikhaël Schwander said that there is a 70 to 80-percent probability of having temperatures higher than the standard calculated over 30 years.
And Switzerland’s official weather service, MeteoSchweiz, also confirms that the summer season “promises to be scorching,” due to global warming.
How can you find relief from all this heat?
If you don’t like the heat, you can — as the saying goes — get out of the kitchen, but you likely will not find much relief elsewhere in your house either.
One reason is that built-in air conditioning systems are hard to come by in Switzerland.
However, the government has a list of recommendations on how to stay cool(er) in hot weather.
READ ALSO: How to keep your cool during Switzerland’s heatwaves
But if you do venture outdoors, you will find quite a few opportunities to cool off.
For instance, you can splash in some fountains in Switzerland, where the water is nice and cool not only for bathing, but also for drinking (from the spout, not the basin).
Also you can take advantage of Switzerland’s numerous waterways to swim —with water in lakes and rivers located at higher altitudes being typically colder than on the plain.
READ ALSO: What are the rules for swimming in Swiss mountain lakes?
Urban oases
Last but certainly not least, some cities have taken steps to provide ‘cool off’ places for their residents.
Geneva authorities, for instance, deploy 26 summer installations to provide some relief from the heat.
The city is installing 12 misting systems, six 'micro-oases', and eight shady areas in public spaces.
According to municipal authorities, these places “help lower the perceived temperature and thus encourage residents, especially those most vulnerable to extreme heat, to continue using public spaces in a welcoming and friendly environment.”
Other cities may very well have similar ‘cooling’ spaces, so find out from their website.
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