Switzerland’s glaciers lost 5.5 per cent of their ice volume in 2026, the second-worst melt year on record, scientists said on Thursday.

The Swiss glacier monitoring network GLAMOS said about 2.2 trillion litres of water melted from July to September alone. Glaciers have now lost around 20 per cent of their total volume in just five years.

“It has been a catastrophic year,” said Matthias Huss, the head of GLAMOS, blaming extreme heat waves and low winter snowfall. August 2026 was the hottest August ever recorded in the Swiss Alps.

Scientists said the rapid melt threatens water supplies, hydropower generation and tourism in the Alpine region. Smaller glaciers are disappearing entirely, and several have been removed from the monitoring list because they have shrunk below the threshold.

The findings add to growing evidence of accelerating ice loss worldwide. Researchers warn that without deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, much of the Alps’ ice could vanish within decades. The report was released as governments prepare for the next round of global climate talks.