Switzerland’s federal weather service is warning that government austerity measures could make weather forecasts less accurate, just as the country faces one of its worst droughts in decades and public frustration with MeteoSwiss mounts.
MeteoSwiss director Stefan Uhlenbrook has warned that the federal government’s austerity measures, known as “Relief Package 27,” are hitting the agency hard and could compromise its operational capacity. Uhlenbrook said public safety is not directly jeopardised by the cuts, but operational risks are rising. In particular, he flagged the replacement of weather radars as being at risk due to the budget constraints.
Weather radars have a lifespan of 15 to 20 years and must then be replaced or modernised; some MeteoSwiss installations have already reached that age limit.
“If these are not replaced in time, it will lead to less accurate forecasts, and possibly to greater damage,” Uhlenbrook said, noting that MeteoSwiss currently achieves an accuracy rate of over 86% for severe weather warnings.
According to Uhlenbrook, all federal offices have had to absorb budget cuts of 7–8% in recent years, and MeteoSwiss must implement further savings in 2027. Given that the service must operate 24/7 and is already leanly staffed, he said each percentage point cut has a disproportionately large impact.
“The more time we lose, the later we act, the more expensive it generally becomes,” Uhlenbrook warned, pointing to climate scenarios that foresee more frequent dry summers and heatwaves.
Public Frustration Grows Online
On social media and discussion forums, Swiss residents have voiced growing frustration with MeteoSwiss forecasts during the drought. On Reddit’s r/zurich community, one user posted a thread titled “I feel betrayed by Meteosuisse,” expressing anger that forecasts had repeatedly predicted rain that never materialised, leaving gardens, lawns and local water supplies in increasingly dire straits.
The post drew dozens of responses from other users sharing similar experiences, with many complaining that the weather service’s models had become “unreliable” and that repeated false promises of thunderstorms had eroded trust.
Some commenters said they were now ignoring MeteoSwiss rain forecasts entirely and relying instead on foreign weather services or simply looking at the sky.
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Thunderstorms Provide Only Temporary Relief, Says Meteoswiss
The federal meteorology service said that while the storms brought short-lived relief in some areas, they did not deliver enough widespread or sustained rainfall to significantly reduce the precipitation deficit that has built up over the past three months.
“Over the last 90 days, most regions of Switzerland have received only 30 to 60% of normal rainfall,” said Stefan Schwander, a MeteoSwiss climate specialist, in comments to Keystone-SDA.
The result is that soils, rivers, lakes and groundwater reserves remain critically dry, with the national drought platform continuing to classify large parts of the country as experiencing “extreme” drought conditions.
MeteoSwiss expects the drought to persist in the near term. After the recent thunderstorms, weather patterns are forecast to become increasingly dominated by high pressure again, meaning little to no significant rainfall is expected in the coming week.
Forest Fire Risk Remains High
The ongoing dryness has led to elevated forest fire risk across much of Switzerland. Most cantons have implemented bans on open fires in and near forests, with some regions—particularly in Valais—operating under the highest warning level.watson+1
Federal authorities warn that water levels in streams, rivers and lakes are expected to remain very low or continue falling in the coming weeks, while soil moisture deficits are likely to worsen, putting additional stress on vegetation and agriculture.bafu.admin+1
Water Restrictions in Place
In response to the situation, some cantons and municipalities have already imposed water-use restrictions. Appenzell Innerrhoden, for example, has issued an immediate ban on water extraction from all streams and rivers, including for agricultural use.
The Federal Office for the Environment (BAFU) has published guidance on the drought and high water temperatures, noting that the combination of low flows and warm conditions is putting pressure on aquatic ecosystems and water quality.
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