Heatwaves in Switzerland are getting hotter and hotter

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• Temperatures in Switzerland are rising faster and faster.
• Since 1971, the average annual temperature in Switzerland has risen by 2.6 degrees.
• The increase in extreme temperatures is particularly striking.

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Since 1971, the average annual temperature in Switzerland has risen by 2.6 degrees, according to a statement issued by the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology(MeteoSwiss) on Thursday. This is a clear sign of man-made climate change.

The increase in extreme temperatures is particularly striking. Currently, the hottest day of the year is on average 3.4 degrees warmer than just over 50 years ago. In Basel/Binningen, for example, the highest daily maximum is now 35.8 degrees, whereas in 1971 it was only 32.2 degrees. The hottest 3 to 7-day periods of a year were even 3.8 degrees warmer on average across the country.

Even particularly cold days are much less frosty today than they were a few decades ago. Since 1971, the coldest day of the year has warmed by an average of 2.8 degrees. In Basel/Binningen, the lowest daily minimum today is -9.5 degrees, compared to -12.4 degrees in 1971. The coldest 3 to 7-day periods of a year are now 2.9 degrees warmer on average across the country than back then.