In 2003, the heat that summer was so intense that more than 14,000 people died in France. In Switzerland, everyone who was living here at the time remembers it, and for years it was the benchmark for what an extreme summer could be like. It was dubbed ‘the summer of the century’. Well, the summer of 2026 has already surpassed it in almost every respect, and it isn’t even over yet.
According to data from MeteoNews published yesterday, this summer’s average temperature is 0.7 degrees higher than that recorded in 2003, which was itself already around 3 degrees higher than the historical average. Zurich, Basel and Lucerne have broken their all-time temperature records since records began. In the case of some weather stations, this dates back to 1864. This is not a relative figure or an exaggerated headline: it is the historical data.
What is most striking is not the peaks but the duration. In Geneva, Sion, Zurich and Basel, there have been almost 19 consecutive days above 30 degrees, something that did not happen in 2003. And the nights aren’t much better: Lugano has already recorded 50 tropical nights – nights when the temperature did not drop below 20 degrees. There were 47 such nights throughout the summer of 2003. In Lausanne-Pully, there have already been 34 – double the number in 2003.
This week, the heat hazard level stands at 3 out of 5 in the Lake Geneva region, with the peak expected between today and Saturday. Vaud and the city of Geneva have reactivated their heatwave emergency plans. If you have elderly or vulnerable people in your care, it is worth noting that local authorities have specific support measures in place: assistance, cool shelters and water distribution. This information is not just for tourists.