Swiss Solidarity and mountain sponsorship collect over 14 million francs
Published: Tuesday, Jul 16th 2024, 17:00
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After the devastating storms at the end of June, Swiss Solidarity collected over CHF 10 million in donations with the support of SRG and private media. The sponsorship of mountain communities raised CHF 4.4 million for the victims of the storm.
A fund set up by the organization with two million francs has grown to 4.4 million francs thanks to donations, the Mountain Communities Sponsorship Association announced on Tuesday. Donations were made by foundations, companies, municipalities and benefactors.
According to the organization, Swiss Solidarity's aid is primarily focused on private individuals in the affected communities. After all, more than 30 communities have been severely devastated by the devastating storms.
And there still seems to be no end in sight to the storms. Switzerland experienced another heavy thunderstorm on Monday evening. Locally, more than 50 millimetres of rain fell within 24 hours. The heaviest rain showers were in Emmental and Simmental in the canton of Bern.
For comparison: according to the weather service Meteonews, 120 liters per square meter fell within 24 hours during the storm in Misox in mid-June. In the upper Maggia Valley, rainfall of 200 liters per square meter was measured at the end of June. This corresponds to 120 and 200 millimetres respectively.
Hail in the Bernese Oberland
Hailstones up to three centimetres in size were observed in Spiez in the Bernese Oberland on Monday evening. The thunderstorm cell moved from the Jaun Pass via Spiez in the direction of Habkern and dissipated north of Lake Brienz. According to the weather service, there was also hail in the Bernese regions of Gstaad and Adelboden.
According to the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology (MeteoSwiss), it also hailed in the canton of Jura on the border with France. Gusts of almost 100 kilometers per hour were also measured in the Jura municipality of Fahy, as MeteoSwiss reported on X on Tuesday.
The highest lightning densities were also measured in the regions already mentioned. The weather service recorded a total of over 10,000 lightning discharges on Monday evening.
Due to heavy thunderstorms in the region, rail traffic between Basel and Strasbourg was temporarily suspended on Monday evening. Trains were canceled and there were delays. MeteoSwiss had declared the danger level "high" for this region. Trains were back on schedule from 23:27.
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