The year 2022 was the warmest and sunniest year in Switzerland since records began in 1864.

Especially on the southern side of the Alps, there was a severe drought with below-average precipitation. As a result, forest fires raged in the cantons of Bern, Ticino and Valais. Due to the largest forest fire in Ticino, both the railway line and the road had to be temporarily closed, and up to eight firefighting helicopters were deployed.

The seven warmest years since records began have all been recorded after the year 2010 and they are all 1 °C or more above the heat records before 1980.

Find out more about the impacts of climate change in Switzerland under MeteoSwiss Climate Change.

Source: MeteoSchweiz (2023)