Unprecedented hailstorms struck central Switzerland on August 28, 2026, unleashing hailstones up to 6 centimeters in diameter—roughly the size of golf balls—over Zurich and surrounding areas. The intense storm, lasting about 30 minutes, left a trail of destruction: shattered car windows, damaged rooftops, downed trees, and compromised infrastructure. Wind gusts reached up to 140 km/h, prompting flight cancellations at Zurich Airport and forcing drivers to seek shelter under bridges while pedestrians rushed into buildings for safety.
Dozens Injured, Mostly Children
According to the Zurich cantonal police, approximately 40 people were injured, with the majority being children. Many suffered head injuries and bruises across various parts of the body. Several required hospitalization. In Winterthur, students were suddenly caught in the violent downburst during school hours; classrooms and school buildings sustained damage, and rescue teams were deployed to some sites.
Widespread Impact Beyond Zurich
The storm system extended across northern Switzerland, heavily affecting Basel, Solothurn, and Winterthur. Reports from meteorological observers noted hailstones reaching up to 8 cm in some locations. Social media was flooded with harrowing footage and eyewitness accounts, including one viral tweet describing the scene as ‘terrifying’ and expressing deep concern for those affected.
Italy Hit Hard Too
Simultaneously, severe hailstorms battered northern Italy. The Po Valley—particularly the province of Cremona—was severely impacted. The famed Cremona Cathedral, often dubbed ‘the Sistine Chapel of Lombardy’ and listed among the world’s top 10% most beautiful landmarks, sustained damage. Further west, between Monza and Brescia, tennis-ball-sized hail caused additional disruption. Italian firefighters reported over 500 interventions since the onset of the bad weather, with the most critical conditions concentrated in Cremona—where roofs were torn off, trees uprooted, and four people rescued after becoming trapped in a stalled vehicle amid torrential rain and gale-force winds.
Elsewhere in the region, intense weather continued into the afternoon between Padua and Venice, compounding concerns over infrastructure resilience and emergency response capacity across both countries.