MeteoSchweiz

MeteoSwiss, officially the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology, is Switzerland’s national meteorological service. Located in Bern, the agency is responsible for observing, forecasting and warning about atmospheric conditions across the country. It operates under the Swiss Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications.

The office traces its origins to 1915 when the first Swiss meteorological institute was established. It became a federal agency in 1996 and was renamed MeteoSwiss in 2010, reflecting an expanded mandate that now includes climatology, remote sensing and environmental monitoring. The organization is staffed by climate scientists, forecasters and technical specialists, and it collaborates closely with academia and the government.

MeteoSwiss gathers data through an extensive network of automatic weather stations, radiosonde balloon launches, high‑resolution radar installations, satellite observations and ground‑based sensors. The data are processed by state‑of‑the‑art models that generate short‑term forecasts, seasonal outlooks and climatological statistics. The agency also maintains long‑term climate records that are used for research and policy development.

The agency’s products include daily weather forecasts for the public, severe weather alerts, climate risk assessments, and specialized products for aviation, agriculture and hydro‑electric power. All services are delivered via a secure website and a dedicated mobile app, and the agency publishes its data through open data portals for researchers and developers.

MeteoSwiss participates in international organizations such as the World Meteorological Organization and the European Centre for Medium‑Range Weather Forecasts. Its research covers climate change impacts, atmospheric chemistry, and hydrological modeling, contributing to global scientific understanding and informing Swiss environmental policy.