Today, 23 February 2017, was the warmest February day ever recorded in Switzerland, according to Meteo News. Several weather stations on the Swiss plateau recorded temperatures exceeded 20 degrees. Normally, temperatures this high do not arrive in Switzerland until the end of April. Temperatures reached 21.2 degrees in Sion (1.4 degrees above the previous record), in […]
Why what is on the lunch menu at sustainability events matters
Yesterday, Le News attended the 2017 Swiss Global Compact Dialogue on responsible business, in Wankdorf, near Bern. The subject was: corporate social responsibility and sustainability, a somewhat abstract word that means living in ways that leave future generations with a planet that supports human life. The event was free for media and included a free lunch, so […]
Siren tests in Switzerland. What you need to know.
Every year Switzerland tests its sirens. The sirens were installed across the country starting in 1936. Testing was introduced in 1970 and became compulsory in 1988. Testing now takes place once a year on the first Wednesday of February starting at 13:30. Sirens must be sounded for three minutes. The tests finish at 14:00 for […]
Toxic smog in Ticino forces authorities to ban cars from roads
20 Minuti. From midnight on Monday, driving a diesel vehicle with a Euro rating of 3 or lower was banned in the Sottoceneri region of the Italian-speaking Swiss canton of Ticino. In addition, local authorities made travelling on public transport free. Concentrations of fine particles per cubic metre of air reached alarming levels in Chiasso (126μg) Mendrisio (125μg), […]
Swiss cold snap almost over with temperatures rising 22 degrees in some places
The ten day spell of icy weather that has swept across most of Switzerland is running out of steam as the warm Foehn wind starts to blow northward over the Alps. According to MeteoNews between now and Sunday, temperatures should turn positive across the plateau. Today saw large temperature differences across Switzerland. Valais got a taste […]
On track for the coldest January in 30 years as arctic ice melt slows jet stream
20 Minutes. So far in January temperatures in Switzerland have been below zero for ten days and there is ice floating on Lake Constance. According to SRF Meteo, January hasn’t been this cold for 30 years. So far the average temperature for January is below -3 degrees, 3 degrees lower than the long term average […]
Chinese president visits Lausanne
On his way from Davos to Geneva, Chinese President Xi Jinping, stopped in Lausanne where he visited the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters and its president Thomas Bach. It is the first time a Chinese leader has visited the Olympic city. He arrived yesterday evening and visited the IOC today. The two leaders chatted about […]
Winds of over 140 km/h hit Vaud today
High winds whistled past the Dôle today. At 1,677 m above sea level, the Dôle is the second highest peak in the Jura. Winds there today went as high as 142 km/h. Down by Lake Geneva, winds got up above 90 km/h in Saint-Prex and Nyon, according to MeteoNews. Maximum wind speeds in other places today […]
Freezing Bise wind to sweep across Switzerland
The cold, dry wind known as the Bise, which blows across the Swiss plateau, occurs when the air pressure in eastern Switzerland exceeds that in the west. As the wind reaches Lake Geneva it gains intensity as it is channeled through the narrow gap between the pre Alpine mountains and those of the Jura to the […]
World cup skiing cancelled in Switzerland because of too much snow
According to race organisers, the FIS Alpine World Cup men’s Lauberhorn downhill race was cancelled today. The men’s race was to take place in Wengen in Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland. In Wengen, nearly half a metre of snow covered the men’s course and there was no window to prepare the surface, as it continued to snow throughout the day. […]
