Switzerland escapes the worst of Xynthia cyclone

Sunshine and spring-like conditions returned to Switzerland on Monday morning after wind storms swept through the country on the weekend, causing havoc in regions extending from Vaud to Saint Gallen.

The stormy weather, with gusts up to 160 kilometres an hour, was a byproduct of Xynthia, a cyclone that tore across France causing devastating property damage and an estimated 53 deaths.

The cyclone moved from the Atlantic Ocean across Spain before turning northward, clipping Switzerland along the way before heading to Germany and Sweden.

"We were quite lucky to be on the edge of the storm," Marco Stoll, an expert in Zurich with MeteoSwiss, the national weather office, told Swisster.

As it was, Xynthia initially brought exceptionally strong Foehn winds to Alpine areas and various valleys on the night of Saturday and early Sunday morning, Stoll said.

Foehn winds blow from the south hitting Alpine peaks and then "diving into the valleys," he said.

In this case, areas around the Lake Geneva Riviera region, Valais and Uri, known for its Foehn winds, faced some of the strongest gusts.

A separate storm, also linked to Xynthia, brought strong winds, rain and hail to the Jura Mountain area of Switzerland on Sunday afternoon, Stoll said.

In the earlier storm, trees were uprooted, electricity was cut to homes and roads were blocked by fallen trees, as gusts of up to 160 kilometres an hour were recorded in the Lake Geneva region, east of Lausanne.

Similar winds were recorded further east in places such as Bex, where power was knocked out for several hours.

Local train traffic was affected in the Vaud Chablais region when electricity was cut to the rail line at Ollon, near Villars, while a power outage at Clarens, west of Montreux, interrupted Swiss Federal Railways service.

Cantonal fire fighters and police, were kept busy in Vaud attending to emergency calls, including 30 cases of blocked roads, although no deaths or serious injuries were reported.

Authorities have warned people not to walk in forested areas because of the danger posed by falling trees.

The canton of Basel-Country has advised hikers and skiers in upper levels of the Jura Mountains to take precautions.

High winds were also recorded in the Lake Constance area from the initial storm.

Winds in the Jura on Sunday ranged from 90 to 120 kilometres an hour in exposed areas.

Unlike the earlier Foehn, these gusts came from the west as Xynthia tracked northward, Stoll said.

High winds of this nature typically occur one to four times a year in that part of Switzerland, he said.

France declared a national emergency after Xynthia devastated much of the country, causing an estimated 29 deaths in the Vendée region on the Atlantic coast alone.

Flights were cancelled out of Paris, train traffic was disrupted by flooded rail tracks, roofs were blown off homes and barns and helicopters were dispatched to rescue people on rooftops because of high waters.

High tides inundated communities, flooding homes and carrying cars away.

Among the victims were an elderly couple – aged 83 and 77 – who drowned when they tried to escape from their camping car when it became submerged in water, according to press reports.

Today's sunshine brings respite from the stormy weather in Switzerland.

But Stoll warms that it won't last for long.

Another disturbance is expected to bring overcast skies to most of the country later on Monday afternoon.

By the middle of the week a Bise wind will bring a return of cold, chilly weather to Switzerland, according to the MeteoSwiss forecast.