Despite a few hiccoughs here and there, so far the weather in Switzerland in 2022 has been sunny and mild. Now, new data from MeteoSwiss has revealed that most Swiss cities have had the sunniest start to the year ever recorded.
In March 2022, northern Switzerland had 24 days of non-stop sunshine, with the south of the country experiencing its driest and mildest winter ever. According to Jan Remund, Head of Energy and Climate at Meteotest, “The months from January to March 2022 are indeed extreme. Solar radiation is around 30 percent higher than the average for the last 40 years.”
In Zurich, Basel, Bern and six other cities, the past three months have seen the most amount of sunshine ever recorded for the first three months of the year. The only large city to receive less sun was Geneva, which saw three fewer hours of sunshine than the official record set in 2012.
Once again, the Sonnenstube of Lugano retained its title as the sunniest place in Switzerland over the last three months, with 598 hours of sunshine recorded between January and March. The area around Ticino has received little rain since December, causing drought and a heightened risk of forest fires in many areas.
What is good for sunbathers is bad for those with seasonal allergies, with the pollen count expected to rise dramatically in the coming days due to the mild, dry weather. The forecast for the next week is set to remain wintery until spring hopefully starts anew next week.