December–February
Winter: snow is not thunder
Mountain snowstorms in Switzerland often occur without lightning. Rare convective episodes are possible, but snow amount and thunderstorm activity are separate questions.
THE WEATHER, IN FOCUS
Switzerland thunderstorm radar.
Follow the clouds. Read the radar. Understand the storm.
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Interactive mapDrag to explore
Precipitation maps may include short-term forecasts. Check the time. This is not lightning detection.About these maps
Check the timestamp inside the map. A blank map does not mean there is no storm.
THE DAYS AHEAD
Switzerland: 7-day weather outlook.
A forecast for the selected place, not for all of Switzerland. Days and charts use UTC. Today may cover only the remaining hours.
Thunderstorm guidance is incomplete: a day without a thunder symbol is not an all-clear. Use official warnings for safety decisions.
The forecast loads as you reach this section.
How to use this forecast
Weather symbols describe model guidance for a point. “Thunder signal” means at least one displayed forecast interval contains a thunder symbol or a positive thunder probability. “No thunder symbol” is not an all-clear: lightning probabilities are not supplied for every location or every day, and small storms can be missed.
Rain totals add non-overlapping forecast periods. Temperature ranges include supplied interval extremes and available point samples; wind is the highest sampled sustained wind, not a gust forecast. Later days have coarser time steps and greater uncertainty. Check official warnings and radar again before outdoor plans.
Explore daily humidity, dew point, cloud cover and sea-level pressure. Gusts, apparent temperature, clear-sky UV and period probabilities appear only when supplied. Clear-sky UV assumes no clouds; it is not a forecast of actual UV exposure. A pressure change alone cannot establish whether a storm will develop.
Forecast data, attribution & licences · Forecast methods and limitations.
FIND YOUR VIEW
Explore nearby countries
THE YEAR AT A GLANCE
Thunderstorm seasons in Switzerland.
For thunderstorms in Switzerland, distinguish Switzerland's Alpine ridges, Plateau, Jura and southern Ticino valleys. These areas can have different moisture, temperatures and storm triggers on the same day.
Typical regional patterns, adapted to local geography. This is educational guidance, not a forecast for this year's seasons or a measured national lightning frequency.
December–FebruaryWinter: snow is not thunderMarch–MaySpring: uneven warmingJune–AugustSummer: mountain convectionSeptember–NovemberAutumn: fronts and residual warmth
March–May
Spring: uneven warming
Valleys warm earlier than high terrain. For Switzerland, compare valley forecasts with mountain forecasts and watch fronts; one lowland point cannot represent the conditions on a ridge.
June–August
Summer: mountain convection
Daytime heating and uplift over slopes can help storms develop when moisture and instability are present. In Switzerland, check the mountain forecast before setting out and update it during changing weather.
September–November
Autumn: fronts and residual warmth
Less daytime heating usually reduces local afternoon storm development. In Switzerland, active fronts and humid air can still bring thunderstorms, including episodes near southern-facing slopes.
What to watch in Switzerland
Zoom out to include Austria, France, Germany, then follow the actual rain-band movement across successive frames. Borders do not stop weather systems.
Sources and scope · reviewed 25 September 2026
This country page combines the Alpine and mountain regional pattern with local geography. Timing shifts between years, elevations, islands and opposite sides of mountains. Rainy seasons do not automatically mean thunderstorms every day. The calendar is a reading aid, not a risk scale.
ZOOM OUT. FOLLOW THE LOOP. LOOK AHEAD.
What is heading towards Switzerland?
Zoom out to include Austria, France, Germany, then follow the actual rain-band movement across successive frames. Borders do not stop weather systems. Use the map’s minus button to widen the view; plus brings you closer. A larger view gives context, not extra radar resolution.
- 01
Find the wider pattern
Zoom out until the approaching rain bands and nearby sea or land are visible. Check the timestamp and whether the frames are observations or model forecasts.
- 02
Follow several frames
Play the provider’s animation. Compare the same rain band over successive frames: is it approaching, weakening, growing or developing repeatedly over one area?
- 03
Check the airflow
Cloud-level winds help steer storms. The wind shown in the daily forecast is near the ground and can differ. Fronts, mountains and new cell development can change the direction.
- 04
Update your plans
Radar helps with the next short period. Use the 7-day outlook for broader planning and check local official warnings. A clear radar image does not prove lightning is absent.
This is a method for reading the map, not an automatic prediction of storm arrival. The country radar remains the opening view; Compare maps adds a draggable map.
Learn about storm movementEUROPE
Following storms
in Switzerland.
Which view should you use?
The page opens with rain radar to help you follow precipitation. Select Satellite for cloud imagery. Storm radar is the last tab and adds available storm-cell tracks. These maps do not measure lightning strikes.
Check the area, not just the country name
The country view is a starting point. A large country or island territory may extend beyond the initial map. The country radar opens first. Choose Compare maps to add a second, draggable view alongside it (below it on smaller screens). Compare the timestamps and legends yourself; the maps are not synchronized and may share source data. Larger map expands the view. Missing data, especially away from radar stations, should not be interpreted as clear weather.
Find official weather warningsEXPLAINER · NOT LIVE WARNING STATUS
Switzerland: warning levels
MeteoSwiss thunderstorm danger levels
MeteoSwiss uses specific thunderstorm warning levels within its wider danger system.
Level 3
Considerable danger
A severe thunderstorm warning requiring protective precautions.
Level 4
High danger
A higher thunderstorm danger level. Follow the official instructions.
Thunderstorm warnings use levels 3 and 4. Do not assume that every hazard uses all five levels of the general Swiss system.
Sources and scope
Agency-specific warning explanation. Source review: 25 September 2026.
These are explanations, not active alerts. Always check the official area, issue time, expiry and instructions. Hearing thunder is a reason to take shelter at any warning level.
A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE GOES A LONG WAY
Understand the storm.
STORM SAFETY
Stay safe in a thunderstorm
Practical lightning safety: choosing shelter, avoiding exposure and knowing when to go outside again.
Read guideAT HOME
When you are at home
Where to stay indoors during lightning, what to avoid and why a porch is not proper shelter.
Read guideON THE ROAD
Lightning and your car
How an enclosed metal-topped vehicle provides shelter, and why tyres are not the reason.
Read guide