The Federal Office for Meteorology and Climate, MeteoSwiss, indicated in its bulletin on Saturday that the maximum value in the country during these days could be up to 35 degrees. Different weather? In some places it is even 37 degrees.
The temperature rarely rises above 35 degrees in this country. “Maximum values of 35 degrees were an extreme event in Switzerland during the last century. Even in Basel and Geneva, where high temperatures are frequently recorded in Switzerland, maximum temperatures were 35 degrees and below,” writes the federal government. Even these two cities have not reached 35 degrees for 15 to 20 years. However: Since 2001, temperatures of 35 degrees and above have been observed frequently and at short intervals in Geneva and Basel.
However, according to statistics, 2003 was an exception – between August 4 and 13. France experienced extreme heat, which also affected Switzerland. “The ridge provided precipitation, which greatly heated and dried the air. In addition, the soil was very dry at that time, which encouraged high daily maximum air temperatures. That is why daily maximum temperatures of 35 degrees and above were measured in Basel and Geneva on ten consecutive days. In general, for 1901 and 2000 In between, 10 days with maximum values above 35 degrees cannot even be recorded as a whole decade,” MeteoSwiss looks back.
Daily highs never exceed 35 degrees in Zurich or Lugano
The values of Zurich and Lugano show that there can be sharp differences in Switzerland in this regard. According to MeteoSwiss, the thermometer in Zurich only showed above 35 degrees on 5 days in the 20th century, namely in 1921, twice in 1947 and twice in 1983.
It doesn’t look too different in Lugano. In the last century, it exceeded 35 degrees for the first time on July 23, 1945, and then doubled that in July 1983. In other words, between 1901 and 2000, 35 degrees was reached or exceeded in just 3 days in Lugano.
MeteoSwiss therefore concludes that daily highs above 35 degrees are still rare in many parts of the country.
Number of days with a daily maximum of 35 degrees and over a decade from 1901 to 2020 for Geneva, Basel, Zurich, and Lugano.
Photo: Screenshot MeteoSchweiz
What is climate change doing to Bern?
And in Bern? “Berner Zeitung” wrote a year ago that in the stable period from 1991 to 2020, the annual maximum temperature in the country’s capital averaged 32.6 degrees. On July 19, 2022, 35.1 degrees was recorded in Bern, and in 2003 in Zollikofen near Bern, 36.8 degrees was also measured.
A federal expert explained to this editorial office last summer: “Without global climate protection, the number of hot days in Bern will increase many times in the future. The 30-degree mark is often exceeded on consecutive days, leading to a general increase in heat waves at lower elevations. With climate change, these will become more frequent, more intense and longer-lasting.”
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