Weather The cantons of Geneva, Vaud and Ticino issue heat warnings
The second warmest June since records began is a tough one: a heat warning is in force in Ticino from Friday afternoon until Wednesday evening, and in Geneva and Vaud from Saturday. The cantonal authorities are therefore taking measures.
27.06.2025, 12:49
27.06.2025, 13:26
SDA
The Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology (MeteoSwiss) is expecting a level 3 heatwave in these regions, i.e. average temperatures of over 25 degrees on at least three consecutive days.
It will be the second warmest June since measurements began in 1864, wrote the weather service Meteonews. The month was clearly too warm and the deviation is currently 3.5 degrees. Only June 2003 was warmer. According to MeteoSwiss, the June temperature was 3.8 degrees above the 1991-2020 reference period.
It was also too dry throughout Switzerland, especially in the second half of June. According to MeteoSwiss's provisional monthly bulletin for June, less than 50 percent of average June precipitation was recorded regionally. However, there were regional differences due to thunderstorms. At the beginning of the month, for example, it rained much more locally in the south of Switzerland than in an average June.
The duration of sunshine was also well above the norm across the board. According to MeteoSwiss, the northern slopes of the Alps and northern and central Grisons received the most sunshine compared to the 1991-2020 reference period. The majority of the measuring stations recorded sunshine duration ratios of 100 to 120 percent. On Mount Pilatus in the canton of Lucerne, it was even 139 percent in relation to the reference period.
Free cinema for senior citizens
In view of the heat, cantonal authorities are taking measures. For example, pensioners in Geneva are given free access to municipal swimming pools and cinemas. The city also provides cool places such as nursing homes, cafeterias in shopping centers and municipal spaces such as the Ethnographic Museum.
In Vaud, regular monitoring of people at risk is being introduced with home visits and phone calls, as the cantonal health department announced on Friday. In a statement, the Ticino authorities called on the population to adapt their behavior accordingly. It is "strongly recommended" to reduce outdoor activities during the hottest hours, avoid too much sun and drink plenty of water. Alcoholic drinks should be avoided.
The warning signs of heat-related health problems include dizziness or fainting, nausea or vomiting, fatigue, headaches, muscle aches or cramps, rapid breathing and heart rate, extreme thirst and dark or absent urine, according to health authorities.
