This year will go down in Swiss history as the hottest year on record, national weather agency MeteoSwiss said in its annual weather review on Tuesday.
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Average temperatures were the highest since records began in 1864, it said. The year was also notable for being particularly dry across the entire country.
It was the hottest spring on record, with temperatures in the high 20s and low 30s recorded in Basel and Ticino in April. Summer meanwhile was characterised by changeable conditions – July was particularly cool with heavy rains.
The hottest day of the year occurred on August 22 when temperatures hit 36.8 degrees Celsius in Sion.
Large snowfalls were recorded in Alpine regions in September and October and again in mid-December.
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