Unprecedented Heatwave Melts All Glaciers Formed in the Alps Over the Winter

Swiss Researchers Estimate Glacier Loss Date as June 29
Typically Mid-August on Average... About Six Weeks Earlier Than Usual

As an unprecedented heatwave sweeps across Europe, it has been observed that nearly all of the glaciers formed in the Swiss Alps last winter have melted.

On June 27 (local time), Yonhap News, citing AFP and Swiss broadcaster SRF, reported that the glacier monitoring team GLAMOS at ETH Zurich estimates that June 29 will mark the day when all the glaciers formed last winter in the Swiss Alps have melted. This is the second earliest melt date in the 21st century. The fastest net glacier loss since 2000 occurred on June 26, 2022. On average, the net glacier loss date in the Alps falls in mid-August.

Snow-covered Alps. Pixabay

Matthias Huss, head of the GLAMOS team, explained, "Another record-breaking heatwave has arrived just a month after the last one, causing glaciers to melt rapidly." Another reason for the accelerated melting is the low snowfall last winter. When snow, which has higher reflectivity than ice, accumulates on a glacier, it protects the underlying ice layer.

The research team calculated that the amount of meltwater from the glaciers is enough to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool every six seconds. Huss reported that the Rhône Glacier in western Switzerland, which he recently visited, melted by one meter in just ten days. According to GLAMOS, the Alps have lost 38% of their glacier mass between 2000 and 2024. Huss warned, "If warming continues at the same rate as in recent decades, only a few patches of ice will remain by 2100."

With the current heatwave, which began mainly in France and the United Kingdom, now moving toward Germany and other parts of Central Europe, Switzerland has also come under direct impact. The previous day, several locations in Switzerland broke all-time temperature records: Basel (38.8°C), Buchs (37.8°C), Wynau (37.3°C), and Koppingen (37.0°C). The meteorological agency predicted that temperatures in most parts of Switzerland would approach 40°C on this day as well, with highs of 39°C in Basel and 38°C in Geneva. The capital, Bern, set a new June record for the second consecutive day with 36.0°C.

The heatwave has led to the cancellation of outdoor events across Europe, and the number of casualties continues to rise. The phenomenon known as the "Omega heat dome" is cited as the main cause of the heatwave. European meteorological authorities call this atmospheric phenomenon the Omega heat dome because a central high-pressure system traps hot air, while low-pressure systems on either side block its movement, creating a shape resembling the Greek letter Ω (Omega). Heat rising from the Sahara becomes trapped over Europe, prolonging the extreme temperatures.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.