Storm & severe weather
Stay inside the building, keep your distance from windows and postpone repairs. Avoid forests, lone trees and scaffolding; secure or clear loose objects from your balcony and garden. MeteoSwiss warns at several levels – from warning level 3 onwards, specific behavioural recommendations apply that you should take seriously.
Winter storms and summer thunderstorms with hurricane-force gusts, hail and heavy rain are among the most frequent natural events in Switzerland. Winter storms (such as Lothar or Burglind) sweep across the entire Central Plateau; summer thunderstorms are more localised but locally extremely violent, with hail and flash floods.
The greatest danger comes from falling trees, torn-off roofs and flying objects. Gusts from about 100 km/h can already uproot trees; on exposed peaks in Switzerland, over 270 km/h have been measured. Storms also cause knock-on damage: power outages, blocked roads and rail lines.
MeteoSwiss issues warnings on five levels (1 = low to 5 = very high). From level 3 on, specific behavioural recommendations apply — taking these warnings seriously is the most effective protection.
Risk rating
Likelihood: High · Impact: Medium → Overall risk: High.
| Impact | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | Medium | High | ||
| Likelihood | High | This hazard's rating | ||
| Medium | ||||
| Low | ||||
Legend: Low (green) · Medium (yellow) · High (red). Overall risk is likelihood multiplied by impact.
Hurricane-force gusts, hail and falling trees threaten buildings, power lines and traffic. Heed the warning levels from MeteoSwiss.
Immediate measures
- Secure loose objects
- Close windows and blinds
- Avoid forests and open spaces
Warning signs
- MeteoSwiss warning level 3, 4 or 5 (orange/red) for wind, thunderstorms or hail
- Rapidly building dark cloud walls, gusty freshening wind, sudden drop in temperature
- Distant rumble of thunder / visible lightning (rule of thumb: with under 10 s between lightning and thunder, head indoors)
- Push warnings from the MeteoSwiss app or Alertswiss
- Unusual calm and a sense of pressure before severe thunderstorms
Before · During · After
Before
- Follow MeteoSwiss warnings
- Clear the balcony and garden, secure loose items
- Do not park vehicles under trees
- Close the blinds, lock the windows
During
- Stay inside the building, away from windows
- Avoid forests, lone trees and scaffolding
- During a thunderstorm: no open spaces or bodies of water
- No repairs during the storm
After
- Photograph the damage and report it to the insurer
- Beware of loose branches and roof parts
- Support your neighbours
This really happened
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2023 Storm in La Chaux-de-Fonds
On 24 July 2023 a violent storm (a gust of 217 km/h was measured) swept across La Chaux-de-Fonds (NE) within minutes; one person died under a toppled construction crane and around 40 were injured. The cantonal buildings insurer put the damage at around 117 million francs.
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2021 Summer of hailstorms
The severe hailstorms of summer 2021 (including Wolhusen and Zofingen) caused around 2 billion francs in damage to buildings, vehicles and contents in Switzerland — the highest figure since 2007.
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2020 Storm Sabine
On 9/10 February 2020 storm Sabine brought widespread hurricane-force gusts (a record 148 km/h in Rünenberg BL); in Switzerland it caused one fatality, damaged buildings and significantly disrupted rail traffic.
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2018 Storm Burglind
On 3 January 2018 the strongest storm since Lothar swept across Switzerland (peak of 201 km/h on the Gütsch above Andermatt), causing damage in the tens of millions.
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1999 Storm Lothar
On 26 December 1999 Lothar swept across Switzerland with gusts up to 272 km/h, claimed 14 lives (more during the later clean-up work) and felled about 12.7 million m³ of timber — roughly three times Switzerland's annual timber harvest.
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1990 Storm Vivian
At the end of February 1990, Vivian caused around 4.9 million m³ of windthrow; a gust of 268 km/h was measured on the Great St Bernard.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I prepare for a storm and severe weather?
Follow MeteoSwiss warnings, clear your balcony and garden and secure loose items. Do not park vehicles under trees, close the shutters and lock the windows.
How do I recognise an approaching thunderstorm?
Watch for rapidly darkening cloud walls, gusty freshening winds and a sudden drop in temperature. As a rule of thumb: if there are less than 10 seconds between lightning and thunder, go indoors immediately.
What should I do after a storm?
Photograph the damage and report it to your insurance. Watch out for loose branches and roof parts that could still fall and support affected neighbours.
Official sources
- MeteoSwiss Severe-weather warnings
- Natural hazards portal Current situation