Government extends its heatwave warning for parts of Switzerland; the national rail company wants to abandon night trains; and more news in our roundup on Tuesday.
Government issues heatwave warning for parts of Switzerland
The country’s official weather service, MeteoSchweiz, has extended the heatwave warning, originally in place till Wednesday night, until Sunday, August 17th at 8 pm.
A level 3 alert (out of maximum 4) will be in effect.
This means that temperatures well into mid-30s are forecast for as this map indicates) the low-lying regions of French-speaking Switzerland, parts of Ticino, and certain regions of German-speaking Switzerland.
(Orange areas are the ones where the heatwave left is in place).
MeteoSchweiz
Why SBB is abandoning night trains
Switzerland’s national rail company, SBB, is committed to developing an international train network, but it wants to focus on daytime, rather than nighttime, travel.
This is reflected in the company’s desire to purchase high-speed trains which will connect, in daytime, Swiss cities with Rome, Barcelona, and London.
A single seasonal night train connecting Basel to Malmö via Copenhagen will be added to the Zurich-Amsterdam service in 2026.
So why is the SBB not developing the night network, as it once planned?
According to SBB’s head Vincent Ducrot, the low demand doesn’t justify the expenditure.
.”Night trains are niche products in Switzerland,” he said, pointing out that in 2024, the SBB counted 11.6 million passengers on its international routes, but only about 600,000 of them travelled at night.
The SBB will, nevertheless, continue to operate international night transport on the Swiss territory, but will forego sending its own trains abroad.
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Not all cantons will suffer equally from the US trade tariffs
While Switzerland as a whole will be impacted by the 39-percent customs duties levied on imports to the United States, some cantons will feel the sting more than others.
Surprisingly perhaps, it is not the economy of the largest cantons that will suffer most; the effects will be worst in the relatively small Nidwalden (population just over 45,000 people).
It is at the top of the risk map because nowhere else in Switzerland is dependence on the United States is as strong.
That’s because Nidwalden exports nearly half of its production (47 percent) — PC-12 and PC-24 business jets from local manufacturer Pilatus — to the United States.
This is a far higher number than the Swiss average for exports to the US — 18.6 percent.
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‘Cosmic dust’ will be over Switzerland tonight
As always, the Perseids meteor shower is one of the highlights in the night sky in the first half of August.
This phenomenon occurs when the Earth crosses the path of the debris left behind by the Swift-Tuttle comet as it orbits the Sun.
At their peak this year, on the night of August 12th to 13th, the Perseids will produce approximately 100 meteors per hour. They are considered one of the most prolific meteor streams of all.
You can watch this celestial spectacle anywhere with unlit surroundings and a dark sky.
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at news@thelocal.ch
