Swiss glaciers lose an estimated 5.5% of their ice in 2026

Glacier Monitoring Switzerland estimates that the country lost 5.5% of its remaining glacier ice over the past year. Its director, Matthias Huss, called the loss “disastrous”. [1]

A mild winter left less snow than usual on the glaciers. Heatwaves in May and June then cleared much of that cover, exposing darker ice that absorbs more of the Sun’s energy. By the end of summer, scientists found no snow at some measurement sites 3,500 metres above sea level. Huss said some glaciers had lost four metres of ice even at their highest points. [1]

Fabien Maussion, a University of Bristol glaciologist who was not involved in the Swiss report, described the summer’s changes as distressing, though expected from a climate scientist’s perspective. [1]