Southern Switzerland continues to suffer from the heat

According to data from MeteoSwiss, the temperature in Locarno-Monti, TI, reached 34.8 degrees on Wednesday afternoon, breaking the previous record for August 5 at this weather station. The previous record, set in 2017, was 34.5 degrees. The weather station in Locarno is located 367 meters above sea level on a south-facing slope.

Additional daily records were reported in Lugano, TI, at 34.2 degrees; Samedan, GR, at 27.6 degrees; and Segl-Maria in the Upper Engadine at 23.9 degrees. The latter weather station is located on a plain at 1,804 meters above sea level.

Daily records have also been set in numerous other locations across Switzerland in recent days and weeks. Last Thursday, the temperature in Basel-Binningen reached 39.7 degrees. This tied the previous all-time high temperature record on the northern side of the Alps. On July 7, 2015, a temperature of 39.7 degrees was also recorded in Geneva.

Ongoing Heat Advisory

In the lowlands on the northern side of the Alps and in Valais, the recent heat wave appears to be over—but the next one has already been forecast. Next week, temperatures exceeding 35 degrees are once again forecast for parts of Switzerland.

It is expected to remain hot in the south this week as well. A Level 4 heat warning is in effect there until Friday evening at 8 p.m., according to the federal natural hazards bulletin. Maximum temperatures there are expected to range between 31 and 34 degrees over the next few days, with peaks of up to 36 degrees.

So far, the summer of 2026 has been at least as hot as the record-breaking summer of 2003. MeteoSwiss reported as early as Tuesday that at some stations, the number of hot days has already exceeded that of 2003. According to the report, the number of hot days this year has been exceptional. At around twenty measuring stations, the heat wave during this ongoing summer has shattered previous records dating back to the start of measurements.