Environment News

Aletsch Glacier Melt in Switzerland

October 7 , 2026 12 hrs 0 min 92 0

Aletsch Glacier, Switzerland’s largest glacier, recorded its biggest-ever annual melt in 2026 after a winter with low snowfall and record summer temperatures.
Swiss glaciers lost more than 5% of their ice in 2026, according to the Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network (GLAMOS).
Over the past five years, Swiss glaciers have lost almost one-fifth of their ice.
Swiss glaciers lost about 2.2 trillion litres of water between July and September 2026, over four times the annual drinking-water use of Swiss households.
Glacier de Tsanfleuron lost more than 4 metres of average ice thickness during the year.
The melting is linked to low winter snowfall and extreme summer heat, showing the impact of rising temperatures on Alpine glaciers.