Flooding could in future be much worse in parts of Switzerland than it was during the extreme weather of 1999 and 2005.

The results of a new study commissioned by canton Bern show that if lakes and rivers in the region flood again up to 80,000 people could be affected, and entire valleys cut off.

The results of a new study commissioned by canton Bern show that if lakes and rivers in the region flood again up to 80,000 people could be affected, and entire valleys cut off.

In this worst-case scenario, large areas of the countryside and residential areas could be under water for weeks.

The study concluded therefore that flood protection needed to become a priority at all levels of government.

The cantonal authorities supported by the federal government are investing some SFr500 million ($498 million) in around 100 flood protection projects, many of which are still in the planning stage.

There is currently up to two metres of snow in the Alps and experts say that if May is warm and wet, the snowmelt combined with rain could lead to an extreme flooding event.

Last year, flooding and storms caused more than SFr700 million in damage across the country, the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research said on Wednesday.

This figure was nearly double the average of the years between 1972 and 2006.

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