Due to heavy snow and rain, roads are closed and electricity supply is interrupted in southwestern Switzerland, the authorities announced on Thursday, and the rain is also causing problems in northern Italy.
A tourism official said Zermatt, a popular alpine ski resort in the south of the country on the border with Italy, was cut off.
Television company SRF reported that 55 centimeters of fresh snow had fallen in the region, with 100 centimeters recorded on the Great St. Bernard Pass southwest of Zermatt.
Authorities in Sitten, the capital of the canton of Valais, closed all roads to cars and pedestrians and urged people to stay at home. Schools are closed.
The Keystone-SDA news agency also reported disruptions due to snow and rain in the canton of Bern in the center of the country.
Authorities in Valais, Bern and Ticino issued the second-highest avalanche warning, with MeteoSchweiz weather office reporting a “moderate” risk of high water levels on the Rhone River and Lake Maggiore on the Swiss-Italian border.
Bad weather conditions will continue on Thursday afternoon, MeteoSchweiz predicts.
The rains are also causing problems in northern Italy
A number of rivers in northern Italy have burst their banks following heavy rains in the region, and authorities have closed areas and roads near the rivers.
The north-western region of Piedmont, with the capital Turin, has been hit hard and appeals have been made to the local population to stay at home.
Due to flooded tracks, there have been major delays in train services between Italy and Switzerland, the Italian railway company reported. Several trains remained stuck along that route.
Authorities have warned of strong winds, floods and landslides.
Areas that usually attract large numbers of visitors during the Easter holidays, such as South Tyrol in the northeast, Lombardy in the north and Tuscany further south are also affected.
