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IN PICS: Ten stunning images of Switzerland in spring

It may be changeable weather at this time of year, but as the sun's rays get stronger and the snow recedes, Switzerland blooms with spring flowers.

Published: 18 April 2017 10:21 CEST
IN PICS: Ten stunning images of Switzerland in spring
Morge tulip festival. Photo: Maartans Danial

Here are some of the best photos of spring in Switzerland, as posted on Instagram. Follow us on Instagram @TheLocalSwitzerland and tag us if you want us to share your images.

1. Spring skiing in Nendaz

2. The village of Suen in the Valais. What a view!

 

Happy Monday!

A post shared by CHRISTINE TRAVERS (@petit_angelus) on Apr 17, 2017 at 1:17am PDT

3. Morges tulip festival, now to May 14th

4. The beautiful Bisse du Clavau in the Valais

 

Reaching the end of our walk.. finally…

A post shared by CHRISTINE TRAVERS (@petit_angelus) on Apr 17, 2017 at 10:35am PDT

5. Spring flowers in Graubunden 

 

Spring is waking up in #graubünden nitliv.00.aaar

A post shared by Graubünden (@graubuenden) on Apr 12, 2017 at 10:48pm PDT

6. Stunning scenes in the mountains

 

Definitely the best climbers out there! #feelthealps

A post shared by Roman K. | @germanroamers (@rawmeyn) on Apr 16, 2017 at 10:26am PDT

7. Spring blooms in Stans, Nidwalden

8. Cherry blossoms in Solothurn

9. Tulips in Lugano

10. A misty morning in Lauterbrunnen, Bernese Oberland

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WEATHER

IN PICTURES: ‘Exceptional’ Sahara dust cloud hits Europe

An "exceptional" dust cloud from the Sahara is choking parts of Europe, the continent's climate monitor said on Monday, causing poor air quality and coating windows and cars in grime.

Published: 8 April 2024 14:15 CEST
IN PICTURES: 'Exceptional' Sahara dust cloud hits Europe

Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service said the latest plume, the third of its kind in recent weeks, was bringing hazy conditions to southern Europe and would sweep northward as far as Scandinavia.

Mark Parrington, senior scientist at Copernicus, said the latest event was related to a weather pattern that has brought warmer weather to parts of Europe in recent days.

“While it is not unusual for Saharan dust plumes to reach Europe, there has been an increase in the intensity and frequency of such episodes in recent years, which could be potentially attributed to changes in atmospheric circulation patterns,” he said.

This latest episode has caused air quality to deteriorate in several countries, Copernicus said.

The European Union’s safe threshold for concentrations of PM10 — coarser particles like sand and dust that that can irritate the nose and throat — has already been exceeded in some locations.

A picture taken on April 8, 2024 shows a rapeseed field under thick sand dust blown in from the Sahara, giving the sky a yellowish appearance near Daillens, western Switzerland. – An “exceptional” dust cloud from the Sahara is choking parts of Europe, the continent’s climate monitor said, causing poor air quality and coating windows and cars in grime. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)

The worst affected was the Iberian Peninsula in Spain but lesser air pollution spikes were also recorded in parts of Switzerland, France and Germany.

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Local authorities in southeastern and southern France announced that the air pollution threshold was breached on Saturday.

They advised residents to avoid intense physical activity, particularly those with heart or respiratory problems.

The dust outbreak was expected to reach Sweden, Finland and northwest Russia before ending on Tuesday with a shift in weather patterns, Copernicus said.

The Sahara emits between 60 and 200 million tonnes of fine dust every year, which can travel thousands of kilometres (miles), carried by winds and certain meteorological conditions.

The Spanish Canary Islands off the coast of northwest Africa saw just 12 days within a 90-day period from December to February where skies were free of Saharan dust, the local weather agency Aemet had reported.

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