Swiss Glaciers Reach Melting Point 3 Months Early

Glaciers in Switzerland are losing ice at an alarming pace as a severe European heatwave accelerates melting, with scientists warning that the country's annual "Glacier Loss Day" will arrive nearly three months earlier than normal.

Researchers expect all snow and ice accumulated during last winter to have melted by Monday, marking the second-earliest Glacier Loss Day on record. Any additional melting through October will directly reduce the size of Swiss glaciers.

GLAMOS said glacier-fed snow levels this year were 25% below the 2010–2020 average, while an unusually warm May further hastened the melt.

GLAMOS director Matthias Huss said significant ice loss is occurring across the Alps, roughly three months ahead of the historical norm, when Glacier Loss Day typically falls in mid-August.

Switzerland's glaciers have lost around 38% of their volume since 2000, while the country has seen the disappearance of about 1,200 glaciers over the past five decades. Scientists warn that if current warming trends continue, only limited remnants of Swiss glaciers may remain by the end of the century.