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Switzerland: Which areas are at the greatest risk of flooding this weekend?

With thunderstorms predicted across Switzerland from Saturday onwards, several parts of the country are bracing for floods.

Published: 22 July 2021 18:49 CEST
Updated: 24 July 2021 12:58 CEST
Switzerland: Which areas are at the greatest risk of flooding this weekend?
Flooding in Lake Zurich. Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash

After almost a week of warm, sunny weather, Switzerland is readying itself for another weekend of thunderstorms. 

While these will not be as intense as those experienced previously as a result of the low pressure system Bernd, they still pose a significant risk in several parts of the country. 

This is because the capacity of soil and water systems to absorb more water is limited, with several lakes and rivers still at breaking point and the soil already soaked through. 

READ MORE: Switzerland drains lakes ahead of predicted weekend rainfall

While the rain is set to fall all across the country, several areas are bracing for flood risk. 

Where is the risk of flooding the highest? 

The canton of Freiburg has warned of flood risk along the Broye. 

Alertswiss has warned of a flooding risk on the shores of the Neuchâtel, Murten, Gruyere and Schwarzee lakes. 

Emergency officials told Swiss news site 20 Minutes that the warning was a precautionary measure on the basis of the forecast thunderstorms for the weekend. 

Authorities in Schwyz said the are issuing a medium-level warning for waterways in the canton. 

The water level in Lake Biel also remains high, although authorities have said they are pleased with the drainage of groundwater in recent days. 

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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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