The days of balmy weather in Switzerland are expected to come to a grinding halt on September 26, as the country braces for the first storm of the autumn. Storm Aitor is forecast to sweep across the nation from Thursday to Saturday, bringing with it heavy rain and strong winds.
From Thursday, Switzerland will be gripped by a wave of low pressure from the Atlantic. Storm Aitor is forecast to arrive around midnight and will grip the country for up to three days. MeteoSwiss explained that the storm itself is incredibly slow-moving, meaning it will likely “stand still” over Switzerland for days.
On Thursday, between 40 and 80 litres per square metre of rain are expected to fall in Geneva, Bern, Basel and Zurich, with the most severe conditions expected in western Switzerland and Ticino. MeteoSwiss has already issued a level three "considerable" rain weather warning for western and northern parts of the country, which will be in place all day on September 26.
Those in the affected areas have been told to avoid the banks of Swiss lakes and rivers and to heed any flood warnings issued by the emergency services.
After the heavens open on Thursday, Friday is expected to bring chilly temperatures to Switzerland. The mercury is set to drop from around 20 degrees celsius on Thursday to 18 degrees on Friday and 14 degrees on Saturday. In the mountains, the snow line will fall to 1.600 metres above sea level - drivers hoping to travel through the higher alpine passes are advised to use winter tyres.
The cold temperatures will be accompanied by high winds of up to 100 kilometres per hour in the Alps, and between 40 and 75 kilometres per hour in lower areas. Saturday will showcase the full range of autumn weather in Switzerland: damp, cold and windy.
However, there will be a glimmer of hope on Sunday, when sunshine returns to the alpine nation in all but the western cantons. Conditions are forecast to remain sunny but cold at the beginning of next week.
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