Summer 2021 saw persistent rain, cloud cover and lack of warm temperatures in what was the fifth wettest summer in Switzerland since records began.
Rainfall north of the Alps was 150 percent higher than average, with some areas seeing over 300 centimetres of rainfall in July. Alongside the rain, Switzerland recorded the highest number of thunderstorms in the last thirty years, with Canton Zurich seeing 18 to 20 thunderstorm days in three months.
The heaviest rainfall was seen in Lucerne, Aarau and Buchs, where the weather was the wettest ever recorded. This led to consistent high water lines in many Swiss lakes, and floods that hit Zurich and Bern.
Alongside consistent rainfall and cold temperatures, 2021 was the first year in which Switzerland received below-average sunlight since 2007. Temperatures also dropped below standard norms for the time of year, with only 10 days seeing temperatures of over 30 degrees.
After what was a dismal summer for sunshine and warm temperatures, Meteo Switzerland is hoping for a “golden autumn.” According to current calculations, the autumn season appears to be milder than once assumed, with eastern Switzerland benefiting from warmer temperatures.
Despite a positive diagnosis overall, Felix Blumer from Meteo Switzerland highlighted that the start of the hurricane season in America will make random weather events more likely in Switzerland in the coming weeks and months.
He said that, despite a positive outlook for the next few months, the weather forecast cannot be accurate beyond seven days. After a poor summer that saw few rays of sunshine, it is hoped that some of the warm weather may return before winter.