Climate crisis
News and analysis of the climate crisis.
Could Switzerland’s heatwave and drought end this week?
If you're hoping for the extremely hot and dry weather in Switzerland to be over, you may be in luck – though the relief could be temporary.
'High danger': How bad is the drought situation in Switzerland right now?
Extreme heat and lack of rain have contributed to worsening drought across many Swiss regions, with some faring worse than others.
Heatwave to continue in Switzerland over coming days
Brace yourself for more of sweltering weather over the next days, as Switzerland’s heatwave settles in for a longer stretch.
Will your water supply be affected if Switzerland’s drought persists?
Extremely hot weather and lack of rain means that most Swiss regions are suffering from drought right now, with no relief in sight in the near future. Will this situation affect your own water supply?
How heatwaves impact the value of your Swiss property
Extremely hot, record-breaking weather has been having a significant effect on daily life in Switzerland – including the real estate market.
One for the history books: what we know about the European heatwave
Europe is still taking stock of a powerful heatwave in late June but experts are already confident it ranks among the worst ever recorded -- even rivalling a freak 2003 episode.
39C: Why was Basel hit by highest temperatures during Swiss heatwave?
Though all of Swiss regions have sweltered under the extremely hot weather for nearly three weeks this month, Basel bore the brunt of the heatwave.
More than 1,300 excess deaths recorded in Europe heatwave: WHO
The World Health Organisation said Sunday that over 1,300 excess deaths had been recorded in Europe since June 21 in connection with the record-breaking heatwave roasting much of the continent.
At least 191 million Europeans face 35C on Sunday
At least 191 million people are forecast to endure temperatures of at least 35C on Sunday in Europe, with the heat particularly intense in Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, according to AFP estimates.
Records tumble as European heatwave moves east
Tens of millions are braving a weekend of extreme temperatures in Europe as a deadly heatwave moves eastwards, with some countries announcing rising death tolls and health services warning of saturation.
Switzerland breaks June heat record for third day at 39C
Switzerland broke the record for its hottest-ever June day for the third day in a row on Saturday, with the mercury rising to 39C in the northern city of Basel.
Swiss nuclear plant shut down due to heatwave
The reactors at Europe's oldest nuclear plant were shut down Friday, its Swiss operator said, after the heatwave roasting Europe sent temperatures soaring in the river used for cooling.
At least 193 million in Europe to face temperatures above 35C on Saturday
At least 193 million people across Europe are expected to experience temperatures above 35C on Saturday, AFP calculations found, up from Friday as the heatwave was set to shift eastwards.
38.8C: Switzerland breaks June heat record for second day
Switzerland on Friday recorded its hottest ever June temperature, with the mercury hitting 38.8C in the northern city of Basel, breaking the previous record of 38C set there just a day earlier.
Experts say Swiss glaciers are facing drastic loss from heatwave
Swiss glaciers are set to lose an enormous amount of ice due to the heatwave battering Europe, the head of Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (GLAMOS) told AFP.
European heatwave's unlikely accomplice is an ocean 'cold blob'
The heatwave battering Europe may have an unlikely partner-in-crime: a patch of cold ocean water south of Iceland and Greenland that can influence weather patterns over the continent.
Climate change to blame as heatwave hits Europe's economies
Human-caused climate change is "unequivocally" responsible for the intensity of a record-breaking heatwave scorching Europe, scientists said Friday, while experts consider the costs for an economy as productivity melts and growth becomes lethargic.
LATEST: More than 100 million Europeans suffer in temperatures above 35C
At least 101 million Europeans were expected to experience temperatures of over 35C on Thursday, in a punishing and increasingly deadly heatwave hotter than weather in parts of Africa.
400 cubic metres of water per second: Melting Swiss glaciers face worst case scenario
Swiss glaciers have been melting at an alarming rate due to global warming for decades, and the most recent heatwave is accelerating this process.
'People are at risk': Europe urged to invest in healthcare as heatwaves intensify
The heatwave gripping Europe is putting people's health at risk, and the continent's leaders must invest in making their health services more climate-resilient, the WHO chief said Wednesday.
Why Europe is warming faster than the rest of the world
The latest heatwave sweeping across Europe is a stark reminder that it is the world's fastest-warming continent, stretching into an Arctic that is heating at an even greater pace
How the heatwave has hit daily life in Switzerland
Unless you have been living in an igloo, you know that Switzerland has been in the throes of an oppressive heatwave. And its effects can be significant.
LATEST: More records set to fall as deadly Europe heatwave drags on
Europe on Tuesday braced for more extreme weather as a deadly heatwave threatened fresh temperature records, with trains disrupted and hospitals across the continent preparing for an influx of heat-afflicted patients.