Swiss glaciers suffer 'disastrous' year of ice loss, threatening water supplies

Image source, L.HösliImage caption, The front of Morteratsch Glacier in south-east Switzerland, which has been attacked by warm air and waterByMark PoyntingClimate reporterSwiss glaciers have suffered a near-record loss of ice in 2026, new data shows, as intense summer heatwaves take their toll on Alpine peaks.More than 5% of the country's remaining glacier ice has disappeared in the last 12 months, which scientists say is "extraordinary".They warn that such rapid melting is no longer a surprise given the pace of climate change, but it could threaten water supplies for farming, hydropower and transport in the decades ahead.The loss of glacier ice can also destabilise mountain slopes and increase the risk of landslides in some places - which can lead to flash flooding in extreme cases, as seen in Nepal in August.There were multiple factors involved in that event, which was triggered when a large area of bedrock and glacier ice collapsed. But scientists say long-term glacier thinning and the thawing of frozen ground likely raised the risks.The notable finding from this latest report is not so much that Swiss glaciers are shrinking - which is to be expected in our warming climate, dri...