Thunderstorms bring relief from record-breaking heatwave in Switzerland

The weather in Switzerland this week will cool slightly, as thunderstorms are set to replace record-breaking temperatures. Sunny, hot weather will return just in time for the weekend.

Storms and cooler temperatures ahead

The end of the unprecedented heatwave that has hit Switzerland and much of Europe over the past week may be in sight. On Monday, June 29, thunderstorms are expected across much of the country, and the temperature will finally drop to below 30 degrees celsius in many cities.

The rain, however, may bring with it some particularly humid weather, making for a sticky start to the week. The sun is also still expected to make an appearance, with temperatures reaching 29 degrees celsius, according to MeteoSwiss.

Intermittent thunderstorms will continue through the rest of the week, with temperatures likely to range from highs of 27 to 29 degrees.

By Friday, the weather in Switzerland will return to sunny, hot temperatures, although not quite as hot as last week! Just in time for the Switzerland vs Algeria game in the FIFA World Cup.

Saturday will be the hottest in Geneva, Lugano and Zurich, with highs of 32 degrees, followed by 29 degrees in Lausanne and Schaffhausen. 

As of 9.30am on Monday, the government's level 4 and 3 heat warnings, which have been in place for much of the past week, are set to end. Take a look at the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology’s website for more information. 

Record-breaking temperatures across Switzerland

As a slight break from the heatwave arrives in Switzerland, temperature records were well and truly broken at 19 measuring stations on Saturday, June 27. In Basel-Binningen, thermometer readings hit 39 degrees and in Delsberg and Buchs it reached 38,2 degrees, according to Watson.

The country struggled to cope with the heat, with some supermarket refrigerators failing and the Beznau nuclear power plant forced to shut down due to insufficient cooling, reports 20 Minuten and Nau.

The government also raised the forest fire danger level to the second-highest (level 4) in many cantons and banned several activities such as barbecues, campfires and discarding burning cigarettes or matches. Some cantons have also introduced restrictions on water use due to a drought.