What Spring Temperatures Reveal About The Climate

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) The spring of 2026 ended with unprecedented heat, capping a season that will go down as one of the most remarkable in Switzerland's meteorological history. Forecasts now suggest that summer is also likely to be warmer than average. Select your language

Generated with artificial intelligence. Listening: What spring temperatures reveal about the climate This content was published on June 8, 2026 - 09:00 5 minutes Cécile Denayrouse, RTS

Deutsch de Rekordtemperaturen: Was der Frühling 2026 über das Klima verrät Read more: Rekordtemperaturen: Was der Frühling 2026 über das Klima ve Français fr Températures record: ce que le printemps 2026 révèle sur le climat Original Read more: Températures record: ce que le printemps 2026 révèle sur le c Italiano it Temperature record in Svizzera: cosa rivela la primavera 2026 sul clima Read more: Temperature record in Svizzera: cosa rivela la primavera 2026 sul

The figures speak for themselves. May 2026 ranked as the seventh warmest May since national measurements began in 1864.

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In the final week of the month, a persistent high-pressure system triggered a heatwave across much of continental Europe. Switzerland was no exception, with the southern Alps particularly affected. In Biasca, canton Ticino, temperatures climbed to 34.8°C on May 28 – just 0.3°C shy of the national May record.

An extraordinarily warm spring

While the late-May heatwave drew attention, it was the culmination of an exceptional season. With a national average temperature of 6.5°C across March, April, and May, spring 2026 was 1.6°C warmer than the 1991–2020 reference period.

This places it as the third-warmest spring on record, trailing only 2011 (6.83°C) and 2007 (6.65°C).

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These figures reflect a broader and well-documented trend. Since records began in 1864, spring temperatures in Switzerland have risen steadily, with a marked acceleration from the 1990s onward. Today, spring is on average 2.9°C warmer than during the pre-industrial period (1871–1900).

The last cooler-than-average spring occurred in 2021. Even more striking, the ten coldest springs on record all date from before 1970.

A warming trend across all regions

The warming trend is evident throughout the country, regardless of region or altitude. The contrast is particularly pronounced south of the Alps, where long-term temperature records show a clear shift: earlier decades dominated by cooler years have given way to a succession of increasingly warm – often record-breaking – years since the 2000s.

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A warm spring does not necessarily guarantee a hot summer. Historical data suggests little direct correlation. Following the record spring of 2011, summer temperatures returned to near-average levels (13.18°C), and a similar pattern was observed in 2007 (12.98°C).

An exception came in 2022, when a moderately warm spring (6.17°C) was followed by an exceptionally hot summer (16.16°C), though such sequences remain relatively rare.

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