[ad_1]
- In some parts of Switzerland it rains heavily. By Saturday morning it had already rained 160 millimeters in Ticino in some places.
- The federal government has declared the highest possible level of danger for Ticino, southern Grisons and the Engadine.
- Particularly around bodies of water and in road traffic, caution is advised because heavy rains can cause streams and rivers to grow rapidly.
Heavy rains started early Friday morning in central and southern Ticino. Some of them were accompanied by strong electrical storms.
According to SRF Meteo, 160 millimeters of rain fell on the Magadino plain in Ticino in 24 hours. That corresponds to more than 80 percent of the rain that normally falls during the month of August.
Flooded roads and debris flows are reported from the southern canton. Images from Bissone in the Lugano district showed landslides in residential areas. In the morning the road between Locarno and Brissago had to be closed due to falling rocks.
The first floods and landslides occurred in Ticino on Friday, for example near Gandria on Lake Lugano, north of Bellinzona and near Madonna di Ponte.
A lot of rain also fell in Graubünden, especially in Bergell with 108 millimeters in Soglio. There was also a rockslide on the road between Ilanz and Trun in Surselva. There, however, the amount of rain was much more modest, around 50 millimeters in 24 hours.
Sunday rain across the country
Until Sunday night it should continue to rain heavily, accompanied by violent thunderstorms. In the southern canton, more than 200 liters of rain per square meter are likely to fall. The Federal Office for the Environment and meteorological services warn of floods and associated risks.
On Saturday, the south, the Alps and the east in particular are below an air mass limit where heavy rains are expected. Heavy rains and thunderstorms are possible throughout the country on Sunday.
There, however, the amount of rain was much more modest, around 50 millimeters in 24 hours.
