Threat of water and electricity shortages in summer? Easter rain is deceptive - drought likely to remain a long-term concern
Swiss lakes and rivers are struggling with low water levels. According to one expert, even rain at Easter will hardly bring any relief - especially in the north.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- After a prolonged drought, it is set to rain again during Easter week.
- The forecast precipitation could help in the south, but is unlikely to bring lasting relief in the north and east of Switzerland, according to a meteorologist.
- If the trend towards drought continues, there is a risk of below-average electricity production from reservoirs and a strong melting of glaciers.
Pictures of Lake Constance have been in the media in recent days: boats on dry land and reed beds several meters from the shore.
The problem is not local: water levels are at record lows in numerous Swiss lakes and rivers. According to the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), the persistent drought means that groundwater levels are low at one sixth of all monitoring stations.
In addition to Lake Constance, Lake Zurich is particularly affected, as are rivers such as the Aare, the Reuss and the Rhine. The level of the Rhine is also a critical point internationally: if it falls below certain levels, cargo ships can only operate to a limited extent - with consequences for supplies and the economy.
Hope for Easter rain - but not for everyone
The all-clear now seems to be in sight: it is set to get wetter again in Easter week. Medium-term forecasts then indicate above-average precipitation, especially in the south, i.e. in Ticino and the Engadine. But appearances are deceptive: "The rain is unlikely to bring any relief, especially in the north and particularly in the east," says meteorologist Roger Perret from Meteonews to blue News.
Especially as the medium-term forecasts of the European weather model (ECMWF) do not predict any trend for the necessary precipitation for the following weeks until mid-May. And the months of May, June and July are also likely to be too dry overall according to the long-term forecasts.
"Long-term forecasts should only be seen as trends and should be treated with caution," emphasizes Perret. And he adds: "I don't currently see any signals that contradict these trends."
Consequences for electricity and glaciers
The potential consequences are fatal: if the forecasts are confirmed, Perret fears that "summer electricity production from the reservoirs will be significantly below average". Switzerland covers almost 60 percent of its electricity needs in summer from hydropower - if there is no rainfall, more imports would be needed.
And the glaciers? If the snow disappears early and the sun shines strongly, they would become ice-free particularly early. If this is followed by a summer with clearly above-average temperatures, this could lead to record melting, according to Perret. This phenomenon would be exacerbated if there were strong Saharan dust events in the near future, which would cover the glaciers with a yellowish layer and thus promote melting.
The karst regions in the Jura and the Alps are currently particularly affected by low groundwater levels. These regions store water poorly, which is why they are dependent on a continuous supply from rain or meltwater. According to Perret, a lack of meltwater could lead to a particularly tense water situation there.
