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Weather update: Lake Zurich bursts banks, Lucerne preparing for flooding

The impacts of Europe’s wild weather continue to be felt in Switzerland. Lake Zurich has burst its banks, while Lucerne has closed bridges in anticipation of the flooding.

Published: 16 July 2021 11:50 CEST
Weather update: Lake Zurich bursts banks, Lucerne preparing for flooding
A file photo of lightning and rain over the Swiss city of Lausanne. FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

Heavy rain continued in Switzerland overnight, particularly in the centre of the country. 

Lake Lucerne, Lake Biel and Lake Thun are all threatening to break their banks, while Lake Zurich has already done so as of Friday morning. 

As of Saturday, the weather is expected to improve – however the flood danger is set to remain critical. 

Lucerne, Zurich and Schwyz hit hard

Lucerne is expecting the worst, with pedestrian bridges closed across the city. 

This includes the Chapel Bridge, the Rathaussteg, the Reuss Bridge and the Spreuer Bridge. 

READ MORE: ‘The situation is critical’: Switzerland’s wild weather to continue

Lake Lucerne is expected to burst its banks some time this morning. 

Police have warned that Schwanenplatz is set to flood at some time today. 

Lake Zurich broke its banks at Bellevue, with authorities asking boat users to go slowly to avoid damage to properties along the water. 

In the canton of Schwyz, roads have been closed due to heavy rainfall and flooding. This includes the A4 motorway between Goldau and Seewen ,along with the road between Lauerz and Seewen and that between Seewen and Brunnen. 

What to do in the case of flooding or natural disasters in Switzerland

Swiss authorities encourage people to remain calm and to avoid taking risks during floods, such as crossing flooded water ways in cars. 

People wanting to stay up to date with the latest danger warnings can be informed through the AlertSwiss app or the MeteoSwiss app. 

These apps provide up to date information on the weather and any possible dangers. 

Other sites to follow to stay up to date is the government’s natural hazards portal, which shows the most dangerous areas for floodwater, and provides upcoming forecasts. 

You can also find several important emergency numbers at the following link. 

READ MORE: Nine Swiss phone numbers you should never forget

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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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