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Flights cancelled as Storm Ciara hits Switzerland

AFP
AFP - [email protected]
Flights cancelled as Storm Ciara hits Switzerland
Lindsey Parnaby / AFP

Ferries and flights have been cancelled in Switzerland as Storm Ciara hits the country.

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Ciara (called Sabine in the German-speaking parts of the country) reached Switzerland overnight with heavy rains and winds, especially in the northern and central regions.

Winds could reach 200 km/h in the mountains, according to Switzerland’s official weather service, Météosuisse.

This morning, gusts of 159 km/h swept through some parts of Bern Oberland, and strong winds were also reported in certain areas around Zurich, Fribourg, and Neuchâtel.

The winds will bring in a cold front, likely until the night of Tuesday to Wednesday.

 

 

The weather is causing disruption of services around the country.

Cross-border workers who commute to their Swiss jobs from France on a ferry across Lake Geneva will have to find alternate ways of getting to work.

Compagnie générale de navigation (CGN), which operates the ferries, has suspended all services on Monday. The company will decide on Monday at 4pm whether to resume lake crossings on Tuesday.

Ciara is also disrupting air traffic. Geneva, Zurich and Basel airports have cancelled more than 80 flights, mostly to the UK, Paris, and Amsterdam.

On the other hand, the storm is not expected to have a major effect on railway traffic, with the exception of some regional lines. Also, night trains from Switzerland to Berlin and Hamburg will likely be cancelled.

Météosuisse has issued guidelines on how to stay safe in the storm.

It recommends downloading the MeteoSwissApp to track the storm’s progress.

It also recommends taking protective measures, such as putting away valuable and fragile items; raising the blinds; closing all doors and windows; and placing vehicles in a safe place.
 

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