Latest news Storm forecasts did not come true
The thunderstorms in Switzerland on Wednesday were less severe than expected. Nevertheless, there was flooding and traffic restrictions in some regions.
05.06.2025, 13:02
SDA
Over 8500 lightning strikes were measured across Switzerland, just over 2000 in the canton of Bern alone, as reported by Meteonews Switzerland on Thursday. This means that Wednesday was quite lightning-active, although over 50,000 lightning flashes had already been recorded on a lightning-active day in the summer of 2024.
The thunderstorms were sometimes accompanied by strong and gale-force winds at low altitudes, such as in Courtelary BE with a speed of 86 kilometers per hour (km/h) or foehn-induced squalls such as in Altdorf with 90 km/h, according to the weather service.
As the thunderstorm moved quickly in the north, it rained heavily for a short time, but not much overall, according to Meteonews. The upper Maggia and Verzasca valleys experienced prolonged rain in places, with over 100 liters per square meter.
Road closures and train cancellations
In the upper Basel area, the fire department still had to respond to around 70 calls. The large volumes of water led to a number of floods and overflowing streams, according to the police. The fire departments were busy pumping out cellars in properties until late into the night. There were also train cancellations and restrictions on the railroad line between Läufelfingen and Sissach in the Basel region due to storm damage.
In Misox in the canton of Graubünden, the cantonal road through the village of Sorte had to be closed for safety reasons due to the heavy rainfall. However, only the part of the southern Graubünden village that had been evacuated for some time due to the risk of landslides was affected. The closure was a precautionary measure, explained staff spokesman Philippe Sundermann at the request of Keystone-SDA.
