Climate change in Switzerland: Experts warn of more extreme summers
New scientific data from MeteoSwiss and ETH Zurich paint a worrying picture for the future of our country. Should the global temperature continue to rise, the Swiss climate will become significantly more extreme in the coming decades. Summers, in particular, will change drastically.
The researchers investigated what would happen if Switzerland were to warm by up to 4.9 degrees. In such a world, extreme weather events that we consider exceptions today will become the new normal. Even a summer like that of 2026 would then be considered average.
The consequences for the population and nature are manifold. Experts expect significantly more periods of drought, which will pose major challenges, particularly for agriculture. At the same time, the number of so-called tropical nights, during which temperatures do not drop below 20 degrees even at night, will increase. Heavy rainfall events will also occur more frequently and increase the risk of flooding.
These scenarios illustrate the urgency of climate protection in Switzerland. The study serves as an important basis for political decisions and adaptation strategies. It remains to be seen what measures will be taken to mitigate the effects of these climatic changes for the Swiss population.