The Swiss Alps are witnessing a dramatic decline in glacier ice. Following what has been the hottest summer since records began, experts predict a further sharp drop in glacier mass. Since the early 1970s, Switzerland has lost more than 1,100 glaciers entirely.
The glacier monitoring network GLAMOS warns that the rate of melting remains exceptionally high. This summer’s extreme warmth came after a winter in which the protective snow layer on the glaciers melted far sooner than usual.
Summer 2026 sets Swiss heat record
According to data released by the Swiss Federal Office for Meteorology and Climatology, MeteoSuisse, the months of June, July, and August were the hottest recorded since measurements began in 1864.
This combination of high temperatures and inadequate snow cover has greatly accelerated glacier ice loss.
Matthias Huss, head of GLAMOS, warned as early as June that all the snow and ice that accumulated over the winter on Swiss glaciers had already melted.
The so-called “glacier loss day” arrived exceptionally early this year.
According to available data, only 2022 saw it occur earlier.
Almost a quarter of glacier volume lost in a decade
This is not a problem caused by a single extreme summer.
Long-term measurements show a clear and alarming trend.
Between 2015 and 2025, Swiss glaciers have lost approximately 24 percent of their volume. For comparison, the loss was about ten percent between 1990 and 2000.
According to GLAMOS, just in 2025 alone, another three percent of glacier volume disappeared.
This marks the fourth-largest annual loss on record, following the years 2022, 2023, and 2003.
At first glance, conditions in the Alps might seem contradictory. Aktualizovane.sk recently reported that Austria’s Dachstein mountains saw fresh snowfall in September.
However, isolated cold snaps or snowfalls do not reverse the long-term trend of glacier mass loss.
Over 1,100 glaciers have vanished
The most striking figure concerns the long-term changes.
Since the start of the 1970s, more than 1,100 glaciers in Switzerland have ceased to exist.
Some smaller glaciers have shrunk so much they no longer meet the criteria to be listed as separate glacier bodies.
The retreat of glaciers is transforming the appearance of the mountain landscape and may also affect the stability of mountain slopes, water availability, and safety in Alpine regions.
Similar risks are not limited to Europe. Aktualizovane.sk has also reported on a destructive flood in the Himalayas following the collapse of a glacier, demonstrating the severe consequences of rapid environmental changes in mountain regions.
Switzerland warms twice as fast as global average
MeteoSuisse states that Switzerland is warming at about twice the global average rate.
The Alpine region is among the parts of Europe where the effects of rising temperatures are seen especially quickly.
Researchers warn that without significant limits on global warming, Swiss glaciers could almost entirely vanish by the end of this century.
This is not just a Swiss issue. Central Europe is facing increasingly frequent heatwaves, and the Alps are especially sensitive to climate change.
The coming years will be crucial
The next GLAMOS annual report will provide more precise data on how much ice Switzerland lost in 2026.
Current measurements, however, already show that the outlook remains bleak.
If this rate of loss continues, some of the smaller glaciers could disappear from the Swiss Alps within the next few decades.
What was once a stable feature of the Swiss Alps for generations is now disappearing before our eyes.
Sources: Pravda, TASR, GLAMOS, MeteoSuisse Photo: AI illustration
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This article was translated from the original Slovak version with the assistance of AI.
