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Scientists say that Swiss glaciers have melted rapidly after a heatwave and light snowfall.

Monitoring body GLAMOS reported on Wednesday that Switzerland's glaciers have melted significantly over the last 12 months, resulting in their fourth largest reduction in ice volumes on record.

According to the report of GLAMOS, the Swiss Commission for Cryosphere Observation, a winter with little or no snow, particularly in the northeastern part, and heatwaves in June caused the glaciers' ice mass to decrease by 3%.

Matthias Huss, director of GLAMOS whose reports cover October-September's hydrological year, said: "This is a lot."

The trend is clear, even though the ice loss was less than in 2022 or 2023 when the glaciers fell by 5.9% and 4.4%, respectively.

Huss, who spoke with a group of Valais residents during a trip to the Rhone glacier, said that Switzerland had experienced its worst decade in terms of ice melting. A quarter of the volume of glaciers has been lost since 2015.

The Rhone Glacier, which was Europe's largest glacier during the Ice Age has shrunk rapidly, losing an average of 1.5 meters this year.

According to GLAMOS about 100 glaciers have disappeared in Switzerland between 2016 and 2022. It is predicted that the majority could disappear before the end of this century.

"Unfortunately, we cannot do much to save the glaciers... "They will retreat regardless, even if today's climate stabilizes," said Huss.

If carbon dioxide emissions fell to zero worldwide in the next 30 year, up to 200 Swiss high-altitude glaciers could be saved.

This year, Swiss glaciers under 3,000 metres were particularly affected. Silvretta Glacier, a once healthy glacier in northern Switzerland, experienced a massive ice melt after the lowest snowfall since the measurements began 100 years ago.

Huss warned that shrinking glaciers also contributes to destabilisation of mountain ranges. This can cause avalanches, including those of ice and rock. For example, the glacier collapse in Valais that wiped out the village of Blatten this May. Reporting by Cecile and Denis Balibouse, Writing by Olivia Le Poidevin at Geneva; Editing done by Edwina.

(source: Reuters)