Swiss summer drought could break records, harming farms and fisheries

Switzerland is on course for its driest summer since records began in 1864, with continued drought putting farmers and fishers under growing pressure, SRF reported.

August was the driest in Switzerland and numerous other European countries since the European Drought Observatory began measurements in 2012. September has also been dominated by high-pressure systems, apart from some rainfall between September 6 and 9, bringing dry, very sunny and unusually warm weather, MeteoSwiss said.

If current forecasts are confirmed, summer 2026 will break all records. Adrien Michel, a MeteoSwiss meteorologist, told French-language broadcaster RTS that the period from April to September was the driest ever measured since records began in 1864. It was also the warmest and probably the sunniest, making the situation even more severe.

The continuing drought is having a major impact on agriculture. Fabrice Bersier, a farmer in Vesin in the Broye region, sowed seed three weeks ago to produce animal feed and make up for the summer shortage. The attempt failed, with little growth in his fields.

Recently sown rapeseed is also struggling to develop, while barley will soon need to be sown for autumn. It must germinate and grow before the severe cold arrives. If there is too little water, Bersier said, some seeds will again fail to germinate, reducing the production potential of the 2027 harvest.

Fishers are also feeling the effects. Several hundred thousand fish have died this summer because of the lack of water. “We had to carry out intensive rescue fishing over several kilometres,” said Ami Lièvre, co-president of the Jura fishers’ association. Thousands of rescued fish were released into the Allaine river at places where they were not at risk.

At this time of year, the Allaine’s water level is usually 20 centimetres higher. If the shortage continues, fishing in small rivers will soon no longer be possible, Lièvre said.

According to the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology, the drought is likely to continue until the end of September and possibly into early October. MeteoSwiss meteorologist Michel said there was currently no sign of heavy rainfall that could make up the precipitation deficit accumulated over the past six months.

“We are currently missing about three months of rain,” Michel said. Three months of normal rainfall would prevent the deficit from worsening, but three months with twice the usual rainfall would be needed to eliminate it.