Swiss glaciers lose more than 5% of ice after record heatwave
LES DIABLERETS, Switzerland, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Swiss glaciers are shrinking rapidly after suffering one of their worst years of ice loss during a record-breaking European heatwave.
Swiss glaciers are experiencing rapid shrinkage following a record-breaking European heatwave, according to a report from the Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network and the Swiss Commission for Cryosphere Observation. The glaciers lost more than 5% of their ice in 2026, a significant increase from the 19% loss over the past five years.
Matthias Huss, director of GLAMOS, described this as a "really worrying situation" as extreme melt years are becoming more common. The winter of 2026 saw insufficient snowfall, while summer temperatures were record high, leading to massive melting. Switzerland's largest glacier, Aletsch Glacier, experienced its greatest melt on record, with Glacier de Tsanfleuron losing 13 feet of ice on average.
This year's melt resulted in the loss of 2.2 trillion liters of water between July and September alone, equivalent to four times the annual drinking water consumption of Swiss households. While glacier melt can temporarily alleviate summer water shortages, the decreasing size of glaciers means this benefit will diminish over time.
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- Swiss glaciers lose more than 5% of ice after record heatwave channelnewsasia.com
