Major events in danger Hail, squalls, heavy rain - Confederation declares highest thunderstorm warning level for Saturday
After the storm is before the storm: severe thunderstorms are on the way over Switzerland on Saturday. The federal government has issued a warning for practically the entire country. Several major events are in danger.
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- Several major events are taking place in Switzerland this weekend.
- However, the weather outlook is gloomy: on Saturday evening there is likely to be widespread heavy thunderstorms.
- The federal government has published corresponding storm warnings.
The weather situation in Switzerland has not calmed down for days. A week ago, storms caused devastating damage in Misox in Graubünden and Valais, on Tuesday the Basel region and parts of western Switzerland were under water and on Wednesday thunderstorms caused power cuts in the north.
There is no sign of the atmosphere calming down - on the contrary: the next heavy thunderstorms are already on the horizon for the weekend. While Saturday morning is likely to be widely sunny despite veiling clouds, MeteoSwiss expects thunderstorm cells to move across the country from the southwest from the afternoon. The main focus is likely to be the Bern region across the Jura and into north-western Switzerland.
"We are expecting heavy thunderstorms with hail, squalls and heavy rainfall tomorrow," Andreas Stutz, forecaster at MeteoSwiss, told blue News. On Friday, the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology issued corresponding severe weather warnings: level 4 ("high risk possible") applies in the west and parts of southern Switzerland, level 3 ("considerable risk possible") in the central and eastern regions.
Several major events
This is a gloomy outlook, especially as several major events are taking place tomorrow: the Swiss national football team's round of 16 final, the AC/DC concert in Zurich's Letzigrund, the St. Gallen Openair and the Federal Costume Festival in Zurich.
MeteoSwiss recommends considering protection options and alternative routes for planned outdoor activities. In addition, outdoor objects (such as potted plants or garden furniture) should be protected from wind and hail as far as possible and electrical appliances should be disconnected from the power supply.
So if you want to watch the national soccer match outdoors tomorrow, you should consider an alternative with a protective roof.