Rising lakes and rivers, saturated soil, landslides, mudslides… Switzerland has been facing heavy rains for several days, accompanied by thunderstorms that have disrupted the country.
In Geneva, the flow of the Arve, a river in the Alps and its source in France (Haute-Savoie), increased, as did the Rhone. The authorities recommend not to walk along the rivers and not to go down the Rhone in such high flow conditions.
The level of Lake Geneva also worries the authorities.
Across Switzerland, torrential amounts of rain saturated the soil and caused landslides and mudslides. New rain has been announced, according to MeteoSuisse.
In Zurich, the country’s largest city, damage from violent thunderstorms, with violent winds exceeding 100 kilometers per hour, disrupted public transportation in the city and region on Tuesday night. Trees fell on tram, bus and RER lines, and authorities called on not to go into the forest for security reasons.
Flood risks are high on the banks of Lake Zurich and the Limmat River.
Many of the country’s lanes and tunnels have been closed, and rail traffic has come to a standstill in several parts of the country, according to the Federal Railways (CFF).
Rivers are expected to continue to swell sharply in the northern Alps, particularly in the region from Ticino (south) to central Switzerland, increasing lake levels.
MeteoSuisse warned that Lake Lucerne (center), in particular, presents a high risk of flooding, and that there is a high risk for Lakes Thun, Biel, Upper Rhine and Reuss.
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