After a long dry spell, skies opened in parts of Switzerland on 17 August 2022, reported RTS. 24-hour rainfall reached as high as 90 mm in parts of Ticino, in Switzerland’s Italian-speaking region.
On Wednesday and Thursday evenings, thunderstorms brought heavy rain, wind and hail to certain parts of Switzerland, reported SRF. Hardest hit were Western Switzerland, Basel and Ticino. Around 90 mm of rain fell in Locarno, Ticino over 24 hours, reported SRF Meteo. Locarno typically receives 212 mm of rain across the whole of August.
In Western Switzerland, 57 mm fell in Vevey, Vaud and 56 mm in Choëx, a town in nearby Valais. In the city of Basel, rainfall of 58 mm in 24 hours was recorded. Typical monthly rainfall in Basel-City in August is 88 mm. 58 mm is two thirds of typical August rain in one day.
Storm damage caused train cancellations in the canton of Bern between Belp and Thun after platforms were flooded.
However, not everyone in Switzerland can expect relief from the dry heat sweeping across Europe. While all regions should receive at least a small amount rain by Sunday, how much is uncertain. Much of the precipitation is heavy and localised because it is driven by microclimates and unpredictable air temperature differences, wrote SRF Meteo.
More on this:
RTS article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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