Switzerland is preparing itself for Storm Joachim, which is expected to cause strong gusts of wind of up to 150 kilometres an hour in some mountain areas.
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A low pressure system has been making its way down from northern France and Germany, and should reach its peak in Switzerland by the end of Friday morning.
The Swiss national weather service told the Swiss News Agency that gusts at speeds of 120km/h had been measured in the Bernese Jura overnight. Also in the area, a train collided with a fallen tree. Around a dozen people were slightly injured.
Boat services have been cancelled on Lake Geneva and officials have warned of the dangers at building sites.
MeteoSwiss says Joachim will be “exceptional” but will not be as strong as Hurricane Lothar which swept across Europe in 1999, causing damage to property in Switzerland of around SFr600 million ($639 million) and damage to forests of SFr750 million.
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