Cold blast gives foretaste of winter

Life is returning to normal in Switzerland with the arrival of clouds and colder conditions Keystone

Strong winds and a sudden drop in temperatures have blown away lingering memories of Switzerland’s long, hot summer.

Gusts of up to 180 kilometres per hour have been recorded in the Alps, and snow has made its first appearance in many parts of the country, leading to traffic chaos.

Central and eastern Switzerland were worst affected by the sudden change in conditions.

In canton Lucerne, the strong winds led to power cuts. Repair work has been held up because of the difficulty in accessing damaged power lines.

Public transport has also suffered some delays. Railway connections between Switzerland and Austria were suspended for over two hours on Wednesday morning.

In cantons Schwyz and Valais local train services were cut off overnight after trees damaged overhead lines.

In eastern Switzerland, the gusty conditions kept emergency services busy as they cleared fallen trees from roads.

Snowfall

The sudden drop in temperature meant that a surprise visitor was on hand to greet drivers on Wednesday morning in canton St Gallen.

Unseasonably early snow on the roads made conditions difficult for drivers, as most vehicles still have their summer tyres.

Many cars were stuck in snowdrifts or skidded off the road. Local police were forced to close some roads.

The snowline dropped to 600 metres overnight. The Swiss institute for snow and avalanche research in Davos said that up to half a metre of snow had fallen at higher altitudes in the Bernese Oberland, and warned that more is on the way.

With the arrival of fresh snow, avalanches can be expected in the coming days, the institute said.

The cold temperatures arrived as the Swiss were still dealing with the effects of this summer’s heat wave. The thermometer went as high as 41.5 degrees in August, and the tropical conditions caused millions of francs in damage to agriculture.

swissinfo with agencies