Swiss glaciers lose over 5% ice volume in 2026

This photograph shows an aerial view of the Tsanfleuron Pass which separates Scex Rouge glacier (L) and Tsanfleuron glacier (R) on September 6, 2026, after the thick layer of ice that has covered a Swiss mountain pass between Scex Rouge glacier and Tsanfleuron glacier since at least the Roman era has melted away completely. (Photo: AFP)

Switzerland's glaciers lost more than 5% of their ice volume in 2026, nearly matching the record loss in 2022, according to the Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network and the Swiss Commission for Cryosphere Observation.

A dry winter with little snow and record summer temperatures drove the severe melt. Scientists estimate the glaciers lost around 2.2 trillion liters of water between July and September alone.