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Wind

Wind is the directed movement of air. Wind is created as a result of differences in air pressure between air masses of varying temperature. The air moves from the higher air pressure (high-pressure area) to the lower air pressure (low-pressure area) until the air pressure is balanced out. In Switzerland, westerly winds, called Bise (cold, north-easterly) and Foehn (southerly) are the most common types of wind occurring across widespread areas.

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Hazard category 5 (very severe hazard)
Possible impacts
  • Falling trees or entire groups of trees or sections of forest as well as electricity pylons and poles
  • Severe damage to buildings
  • Road, rail, water and air traffic disrupted or at a standstill
  • Toppling of larger (empty) vehicles
  • Securely anchored objects with a larger surface area, such as tents and scaffolding and unsecured objects such as garden furniture etc. can  be blown over
  • High waves on lakes, which wash over the banks or shores
  • Electricity grid outages and failure of telephone networks for long periods of time and over widespread areas
Description of measurement and prognostic values
  • Top wind speeds in low to medium-altitude areas: >140 km/h
  • Top wind speeds in higher-altitude areas (>1600 m above sea level): >200 km/h

Hazard category 4 (severe hazard)
Possible impacts
  • Falling trees
  • Damage to individual buildings and roofs
  • Restriction of road, rail, water and air traffic (e.g. road closures, delays or cancellations of trains, buses, planes and ferries)
  • Toppling of securely anchored objects with a larger surface area, such as tents and scaffolding and unsecured objects such as garden furniture
  • Electricity grid outages and failure of telephone networks due to fallen trees
Description of measurement and prognostic values
  • Top wind speeds in low to medium-altitude areas (incl. Foehn winds): 110-140 km/h
  • Top wind speeds in higher-altitude areas (>1600 m above sea level): 160-200 km/h

Hazard category 3 (significant hazard)
Possible impacts
  • Falling branches and individual trees
  • Damage to individual roofs
  • Lightly secured objects with larger surface areas, such as tents and scaffolding, can be blown over
  • Some disruption to road, rail, water and air traffic
  • Increased risk of road accidents owing to strong crosswinds at exposed points (e.g. bridges), especially for large vehicles
  • Possible shutdown of ski lifts and cable cars
Description of measurement and prognostic values
  • Top wind speeds in low to medium-altitude areas (incl. Foehn winds): 90-110 km/h
  • Top wind speeds in higher-altitude areas (>1600 m above sea level): 130-160 km/h

Hazard category 2 (moderate hazard)
Possible impacts
  • Toppling of objects inadequately secured or free-standing objects
  • Breaking of smaller branches
  • Increased swell on lakes
Description of measurement and prognostic values
  • Stormy winds in low and medium-altitude areas (incl. Foehn winds): 70-90 km/h
  • Stormy winds in higher altitude areas (>1600 m above sea level): 100-130 km/h

Hazards for lakes and airports

For warnings in respect of lakes and airports (so-called object warnings, except for danger level 2, the following applies:

Recommendations for action

Recommendations during wind

Notes

The transition altitude between ‘low and medium altitudes’ and ‘higher altitudes’ is 1000 m above sea level for the Jura and the low-lying areas of the northern side of the Alps, and 1600 m above sea level for the Alps themselves as well as their southern side.

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MeteoSwiss is the Federal Office for Meteorology and Climatology. We keep our finger on the pulse of the weather and climate, so it’s all clear as day to you.

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