The first half of October was marked by extremely fine weather. For the whole month the average temperature across the country was 9.8° C, the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology (MeteoSwiss) said on Monday.
This is 3.1° C above the monthly norm for the 1991-2020 period. The October record of 10.4° C dates to 2022.
In Lugano, canton Ticino, October was the warmest ever recorded – 2.8° C above the norm.
In several locations, when comparing temperature measurements over the past 100 years, October 2023 was only just below previous records. Compared to the pre-industrial period (1871-1900), October 2023 was 2.7° C warmer on average.
During the first 13 days of October, 38 locations across Switzerland registered temperature records. Many places experienced summer-like weather of over 25° C. Basel-Binningen recorded nine such days and Bern-Zollikofen five. Comprovasco, canton Ticino, measured the highest temperature at 29.4° C on October 8.
The first half of the month saw practically no precipitation. Rain and snow above 1,700 metres fell on October 14-15.
Humid air brought abundant precipitation to western Switzerland and the southern side of the Alps from October 19-21. In the rest of Switzerland, October 20 and 21 were wet. After 22 October, changeable weather with partly strong west to southwest winds set in. The Föhn wind swept through the valleys on the northern side of the Alps at the end of the month.
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