2023-07-24 10:51:00
A violent storm swept through the La Chaux-de-Fonds (NE) region before noon. The official measuring station reported a wind speed of 217 km/h. The Neuchâtel canton police speak of a “tornado”. SRF Meteo clarifies the facts. The storm caused considerable damage. According to initial findings, no one was harmed.
The storm didn’t last long, but the damage in the clock metropolis was considerable. Vehicles were destroyed, roofs torn off, furniture in the city, especially patio chairs, was thrown through the air. Dozens of trees were uprooted or simply beheaded by the violent gusts of wind.
Legend: Twitter/Nahel Belgherze
There was a lot of rubbish on the street. Images published on social networks showed that a construction crane had fallen on a vehicle near the station. The vehicle caught fire
Both SRF Meteo and Meteo Schweiz, which own the nationwide measuring network, are currently clarifying whether the storm was actually a tornado.
Sabine Balmer from SRF Meteo admits that the photos speak for a “local but violent matter”. Locally strong gusts of wind, so-called downbursts, might occur in connection with thunderstorms. The 217 kilometers per hour would still have to be confirmed, she explains. But they would be “actually a clear record”.
Train tracks were blocked by uprooted trees, according to Alertswiss. Power outages are expected due to the damage. SRF Meteo had warned of severe thunderstorms throughout the Jura arc.
1690199480
#casualties #storm #sweeps #ChauxdeFonds #region #tornado #News
