Heatwave begins in Ticino with highest temperature of the year
Published: Saturday, Aug 10th 2024, 17:00
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The heatwave reached Ticino on Saturday: at 3.40 pm, the highest temperature of the year so far of 35.8 degrees was measured in Biasca TI. In Basel, the Rhine Valley, the Lake Geneva basin and Valais, it is likely to get really hot from Sunday.
On the southern side of the Alps, where the federal government has already issued danger level 4 (major danger) for Saturday, the heatwave is likely to "intensify significantly", according to the latest natural hazard bulletin. Even at night, temperatures are not expected to fall below 20 degrees.
At 35.8 degrees, the previous record was broken in Biasca on Saturday, as Marco Stoll from MeteoSwiss told the Keystone-SDA news agency on request. On July 3, 34.6 degrees had been measured there.
However, the hottest phase in Ticino is not expected until midday on Sunday until Monday evening. The second-highest level 4 warning is issued by the federal government if the average daily temperature is 27 degrees or more on at least three days. It will initially apply in Ticino until Tuesday evening.
Also up to 35 degrees on Lake Geneva and Valais
In Valais and the Lake Geneva region, the federal government is also expecting maximum temperatures of 32 to 35 degrees from Sunday. In the Basel region and the Rhine Valley, temperatures are likely to reach the threshold values of a heatwave with 31 to 33 degrees in the lowlands. Even at night, it will not cool down much at 18 to 22 degrees.
In these areas, there is a level 3 "considerable danger" until Tuesday. This means that the average daily temperature will be 25 degrees or higher for at least three consecutive days. MeteoSwiss refers to this danger level as a heatwave. There could possibly be a temporary weakening on Monday evening due to thunderstorms.
The hottest August day in Switzerland was in 2003 in Grono GR in Misox with 41.5 degrees. However, as the measuring station has been moved in the meantime, it would have been 40.5 degrees at the new station today, according to MeteoSwiss.
©Keystone/SDA
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