Over the past 12 months the weather in most of Switzerland has been "too dry", according to SRF Meteo, while eastern regions and the Alps saw above-average precipitation.
In its annual report published on Tuesday, the German-language national broadcaster’s weather service said the 2018-2019 hydrological year, which runs from October 1 to September 30, was drier than the previous year, especially in the west and south.
This was surprising, SRF said, as the summer of 2018 was the second-driest since 1947.
However, the eastern Plateau region, north and central Graubünden and the Alps witnessed above-average precipitation during the 12 months. The town of Chur, for example saw 25% more precipitation than average, and Säntis and St Gallen also reported above-average rain.
“In general, the trend towards bigger year-on-year fluctuations in weather patterns was confirmed,” SRF said.
Despite a snowy winter, Switzerland’s glaciers suffered, shrinking in length and volume, SRF said. The summer of 2019 was the third warmest after 2003 and 2015.
SRF/sb
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