It’s hard to believe as 2024, which has just ended, leaves a rainy and cloudy memory in the memory of many Swiss people. But the year was nevertheless around 1.4°C too mild in terms of temperatures, according to MeteoNews in its annual report. Which places it in 3rd place for the hottest years since measurements began. Only the years 2022 (+1.7°C) and 2023 (+1.5°C) were milder.
The year 2024 also recorded a record: that of the hottest month of February ever recorded, with an excess of 4.7 degrees compared to the average. Which means that the winter of 2023/2024 was, with that of 2019/2020, the mildest of its season ever recorded, notes MeteoNews.
It was also too hot in March, August and October, with excesses of more than 2 degrees each time. August even ranks 2nd among the hottest Augusts on record. Overall, only May and September were normal. Note also that the highest temperature of the year was measured in Biasca (TI) with 36.4 degrees on August 11. Conversely, the cold record is to the credit of the Buffalora hut (GR) at 2000 meters above sea level, with -28 degrees on January 29.
The year 2024 was also very wet. The deviation is approximately 7.8% compared to the climate standard. “But the precipitation was very unevenly distributed. Half of all months recorded too much rain, the other half too little,” notes MeteoNews. March, May and September were too wet, while August and November were too dry. And another record was broken: that of the quantity of fresh snow that fell on the plain in one day. It was November 21. If everywhere there were 10 to 30 cm of flakes, Lucerne was covered with 42 cm of white gold. Unheard of since 1883.
Logically, 2024 was cloudier than the norm. The sun shone on average 10% less, especially in spring, with a deficit of more than 23%.
