Published on Jul. 4, 2026, 3:02 PM
Researchers say that on June 29, the Rhone Glacier in southern Switzerland reached so-called “Glacier Loss Day” — the moment when snow accumulated over winter has melted away and glaciers begin shedding the ice below.
By Cecile Mantovani
OBERGOMS, Switzerland, July 3 (Reuters) – Snow on Swiss glaciers disappeared weeks earlier than usual this summer under the glare of a European heatwave, pitching the Alps into another year of heavy ice loss, scientists say.
Researchers say that on June 29, the Rhone Glacier in southern Switzerland reached so-called “Glacier Loss Day” — the moment when snow accumulated over winter has melted away and glaciers begin shedding the ice below.
Matthias Huss, director of Glacier Monitoring Switzerland, said three months still remained this year for ice to melt that has taken decades or even centuries to build up.
A drone view shows ice details on the Rhone glacier, amid climate change in Obergoms, Switzerland, July 2, 2026. REUTERS/Pierre Albouy
“This is really a worrying situation,” he said.
HEATWAVES AND SCANT SNOWFALL BATTER GLACIERS
This year, two heatwaves that followed low winter snowfall helped accelerate “Glacier Loss Day” to its second-earliest date on record. In 2022, it occurred three days earlier.