Very high night-time temperature recorded in Lugano for the month of March

According to information from the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology (MeteoSwiss), the previous record for the so-called lowest temperature in the month of March was measured on March 31, 1899.

On that day, the temperature was 13.6 degrees, explained Luca Panziera from MeteoSwiss at the request of Keystone-SDA. This means that Monday morning's value was 0.1 degrees Celsius higher than on March 31, 1899.

According to Panziera, it is likely that the temperature in Lugano will no longer fall below this value by midnight. Should this be the case, the record would be confirmed. However, this will only be known for certain on Tuesday, says Panziera.

"Measured value is consistent with climate change"

Irrespective of this individual measurement, night-time lows of around 13 degrees have been measured at low altitudes throughout the southern Alpine region. "This is an unusually high value for the month of March," Panziera noted.

The value measured in Ticino on Monday morning is consistent with climate change. The warming can be seen in a whole range of statistical values - not just in the summer daily maximum temperatures.