Public service Numerous disruptions due to storms in Switzerland
The storms on Thursday night led to the declaration of a special situation in Valais. People were told to stay at home and schools were closed. The police also received many reports in the canton of Bern. Water levels are high in Ticino.
17.04.2025, 12:13
SDA
The special situation in Valais allows the authorities to use additional resources or the help of the army to deal with the consequences of the storm. Meanwhile, emergency services were battling against exceptionally heavy snowfall, according to a statement issued by the Valais State Council on Thursday morning. Several roads and traffic routes had to be closed due to flooding, landslides, the masses of snow and fallen trees, including the Simplon Pass and the railroad line between Visp and Zermatt.
Several villages were also cut off from the power supply due to the storm. Due to the danger of avalanches and falling trees, the cantonal authorities advised the population to stay at home if possible. Schools are closed throughout the canton of Valais. People who had planned to travel to Valais on Thursday were asked to postpone their arrival by one day if possible.
Simplon region and Maggia Valley worst affected
According to the latest bulletin on the federal natural hazard warnings, the precipitation increased in intensity on Wednesday afternoon and the snow line dropped. According to the bulletin, 200 millimetres of precipitation already fell in the most affected regions - the Simplon region and the Maggia Valley - between 6 p.m. on Tuesday and 10 a.m. on Thursday.
In Upper Valais, on the crest of the Valais Alps and in the Bernese Oberland, 100 millimetres of precipitation had fallen. Mostly as snow, with around 100 centimetres of fresh snow measured at an altitude of 2500 meters. In the Rhone Valley and the Bernese Oberland, according to the latest bulletin, the snow reached low altitudes, with around 10 centimetres of snow in Sion and 30 centimetres in Visp.
40 reports in Bern
The Bernese Oberland is also affected by the heavy rain and snowfall. Around 40 reports have been received by the Bernese cantonal police since Wednesday evening in connection with the storm. The reports mainly concerned fallen trees, branches or other objects on the roads. The police were not aware of any injuries.
Several sections of traffic had to be closed in the meantime. The mobile phone network was also disrupted. Smaller villages or districts in the Saanenland, Simmental, Kandertal or Grindelwaldtal were still without power on Thursday afternoon, as can be seen on an overview map from the large Bernese energy supplier BKW.
Elevated water levels in Ticino
In Ticino, the water level of Lake Maggiore near Locarno and the level of the Maggia - also near Locarno - have risen. Andrea Salvetti from the Ticino Office for Watercourses does not expect any problems due to the increased water levels, as he explained to the Keystone-SDA news agency.
The most active phase of the precipitation will come to an end on Thursday afternoon, the federal bulletin continued. However, individual thunderstorm cells are still possible. Between Thursday noon and Thursday evening, 10 to 20 millimetres of precipitation are still expected south of the Simplon region and the Saas Valley, as well as around 5 millimetres in the other regions.
